What is Fire ecology?
[[Image:Wildfire-ISS007 Mosaic2.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Old Fire]] burning in the [[San Bernardino Mountains]] (image taken from the [[International Space Station]])]] [[File:CSIRO ScienceImage 10398 Eucalypt regrowth after Black Saturday bushfires.jpg|thumb|Regrowth of Eucalyptus trees, four months after a bushfire]] '''Fire ecology''' is about the effects of [[fire]] on the [[ecosystem]]s where it occurs. The results of fire are studied, and also what causes the fires. In many ecosystems, fire helps keep the [[habitat]] healthy. Examples of such habitats are the North American [[prairie]] and [[chaparral]] [[ecosystems]], and the South African [[savanna]]. In these ecosystems, fire helps renew the habitat.<ref>http://www.californiachaparral.com/firenature.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518181714/http://californiachaparral.com/firenature.html |date=2011-05-18 }} California Chaparral Institute: Wildfire in the Chaparral. accessed 9/29/2010</ref><ref>Brockway D.G., R.G. Gatewood and R.B. Paris. 2002. Restoring fire as an ecological process in shortgrass prairie ecosystems: initial effects of prescribed burning during the dormant and growing seasons. ''Journal of Environmental Management'' '''65''':135-152.</ref> In theses places, many plants and trees have [[adaptation|adapted]] and need fire to grow well, or for their seeds to [[Germination|germinate]] and start [[ecological succession]]. If the fires are stopped, dry wood and dead plants accumulate. Bushes and trees that catch fire easily will start growing. When this area finally does catch fire, it will make the wildfire larger and more damaging, and be harder to control. In the [[United States]], [[campaign]]s have made people believe that [[wildfire]]s are always bad for nature. This comes from the old belief that ecosystems grow towards a stable system, and disturbances like fires stop that, and destroy the harmony of nature. But we have since learned that in some areas, fire is needed to make the system work properly; fire also h