A global synthesis of fire effects on pollinators

Aim: Understanding fire effects on pollinators is critical in the context of fire regime changes and the global pollination crisis. Through a systematic and quantitative review of the literature we provide the first global assessment of pollinator responses to fire. We hypothesize that pollinators increase after fire and during the early postfire succession stages; however, high fire frequency has the opposite effect, decreasing pollinators.
Location: Terrestrial ecosystems, excluding Antarctica.
Time period: Data collected from 1973 to 2017.
Major taxa studied: Insects (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera) and a few bird species.
Methods: We first compiled available studies across the globe that assessed fire effects on pollinator communities. Then, by means of hierarchical meta-analyses, we evaluated how different fire regime parameters (fire frequency, postfire time and fire type) and habitat characteristics affect the abundance and richness of animals that act as...