Flammability and trait evolution in coastal sage scrub for mainland and island systems

The fire regime of a given ecosystem can be determined by a variety of natural and anthropgenic factors, including vegetation, climate, weather, topography, soils, grazing, geography, and human-caused ignitions or suppression, and fire regimes vary in space and time depending on the dynamics of these determinants. There is evidence that fire frequency can act as a selective pressure in fire-adapted ecosystems, driving a positive-feedback system that further alters fire regimes. Understanding the plastic and evolutionary responses of fire-adapted communities to shifts in fire behavior is essential for predicting the ways that fire activity will change due to climate change and human influence. The mainland-island system of Southern California and the Channel Islands may serve as an example of two similar ecosystems with historically different fire frequencies. Using this system, this project aims to determine how island and mainland systems respond to past and future alterations in fire frequency, taking into account factors such as area, isolation, climate, human impact, and grazing.