Wildfires are Essential in Habitats

In Australia, natural bushfires were an integral part of the landscape and these bushfires determined and distributed species throughout the different types of habitats. Since European settlement, the bushfires have became more frequent and more destructive. After many of the bushfires, the first plants to regrow are weeds and they can choke out other species in the area causing little diversity. This is common when areas of habitat have not been burned for some time and the natural fire cycle hasn’t been implicated. Most species of birds need diversity but some need strict requirements in their habitat too. There are three different types of Bristle birds that inhabit the “dense, fire-prone scrubland”. After a fire occurs, Bristle birds won’t return and recolonize until there is enough vegetation to cover and protect them in the habitat. If these bushfires are re-occuring to frequently, then Bristle birds cannot inhabit that land. The Western Australian subspecies of the Rufous Bristle bird became extinct after too many bushfires occurred. On the flip side, if the habitat does not see natural bushfires for an extended period of time, then vegetation can get too dense for Bristle birds. Managing bushfires is important for the conservation of many different species.

http://theconversation.com/bushfires-are-pushing-species-towards-extinction-54109

Rufous BristleBird

There is also sightings of hawks and kites starting fires to drive out prey. This is an incredible tactic and could be seen as a link to natural fire spreading.

https://birdlife.org.au/conservation/science/threats-to-birds