The Ecology of Fire in the Birthplace of Fire Ecology

A review of Noss, R. F. Fire Ecology of Florida and the Southeastern Coastal Plain. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA, 2018. In Noss’ 2018 Fire Ecology of Florida and the Southeastern Coastal Plain, he reminds readers of the eminent and pioneering fire ecologist E.V. Komarek's poignant note that “fire ecology is a most neglected ecological subject.” Recent literature from around the world echoes this truth by reminding plant and animal ecologists of the dominant roles of fire in the past and in contemporary terrestrial ecosystems. This book tackles many aspects of fire in the past, present, and future, within an exceedingly fire‐prone and biologically diverse region: the Florida peninsula and the adjacent eastern Gulf Coastal Plain and Atlantic Coastal Plain (the Mississippi River to the Virginia Tidewater). A treatment that focuses specifically on fire in Florida is long overdue, particularly given that the field of fire ecology was formally founded there and the multitude of fire–plant interactions. As Noss relates in the preface, his awakening as a graduate student to the relationship between frequent fires and Florida's rich biological diversity was revelatory. Noss’ book illustrates this via details of fire behavior, the corresponding natural history related to fire, and these complex fire–biodiversity relationships. I found the text accessible while still providing detailed citations and ecological mechanisms uncovered by the wealth of fire ecology research in the region. In addition to a detailed community‐level treatment (focused on Florida more than the adjacent states), he deeply explores the life history of individual plant and animal species and how fire interacts with each. I have been disappointed in other regional fire ecology monographs for the lack of this fine‐scale understanding; it is clear that Noss understands these ecosystems and their natural history. This book delves into broader ecological topics du jour while retaining a sense of place throughout. The book has a strong focus on the antiquity of fire in the study area and the role of fire in the evolutionary ecology of the dominant species. In addition to evolutionary ecology, Noss weaves in foundational ecological theory throughout, citing fundamental scientific arguments between well‐recognized and often‐overlooked 20th‐century ecologists as well as covering 21st‐century topics. He devotes considerable text to debates over the source of fires in the region, lightning and humans, and puts these in a thoughtful evolutionary and landscape ecological context.