The short-term effects of wildfire on heathland flowering plant communities as a resource for insect pollinators: a case study at Killarney National Park, Ireland
Abstract
Fire is a globally important driver of ecosystem diversity and functioning, yet the frequency and behaviour of wildfire has become increasingly unpredictable as a result of climate change, posing risks to ecosystems, societies, and economies. Post-fire plant and animal community dynamics are often shaped by ecological, landscape, and fire characteristics, but as risk factors change, understanding community responses, rather than individual species, is critical for predicting post-fire trajectories and informing management. Temperate heathlands are of cultural, ecological, and economic importance in Europe but face heightened wildfire risk due to changing land management and climate. In April 2021, a wildfire burned extensive areas of mixed heathland within Killarney National Park, Ireland. Here, we used a paired burnt–unburnt experimental design to quantify the effects of this event on floral community composition and the availability of food resources for pollinating insects in heathland habitats. Results demonstrated a decrease in the number of insect pollinated flowers (floral units) during the first year post-fire, despite an overall floral unit increase driven by certain wind-pollinated species. However the effects became weaker two years post-fire, with increased compositional similarity between Fire and Control communities and an increase in insect-pollinated floral units, although responses varied seasonally. Some species occurred more frequently in Fire or Control sites, indicating distinct post-fire “winners” and “losers”. While there is evidence of post-fire floral recovery, proportional increases in certain fire-favouring species suggest potential shifts in community structure and resource availability for pollinators following wildfire. This has implications for the resilience of this landscape under altered fire-regimes and potential cascading effects on pollination services.
Related
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- Wildfire risk for main vegetation units in a biodiversity hotspot: modelling approach in New-Caledonia, South Pacific.
BibTeX
@misc{howells2026shortterm,
title = {{The short-term effects of wildfire on heathland flowering plant communities as a resource for insect pollinators: a case study at Killarney National Park, Ireland}},
author = {Thomas Robert Howells and Kilian Kelly and Aifionn S. Evans and Eoghan Phelan and Patrick Gleeson and Christina Maloney and Domonkos Boka and Alannah Warren and Rachel Dowling and Siún Ní Cheallaigh and Jaimie Maidwell and Joanne Monaghan and Darren M. Evans},
howpublished = {EcoEvoRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.32942/x2mx28},
url = {https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/14798/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The short-term effects of wildfire on heathland flowering plant communities as a resource for insect pollinators: a case study at Killarney National Park, Ireland
AU - Thomas Robert Howells
AU - Kilian Kelly
AU - Aifionn S. Evans
AU - Eoghan Phelan
AU - Patrick Gleeson
AU - Christina Maloney
AU - Domonkos Boka
AU - Alannah Warren
AU - Rachel Dowling
AU - Siún Ní Cheallaigh
AU - Jaimie Maidwell
AU - Joanne Monaghan
AU - Darren M. Evans
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/07
PB - EcoEvoRxiv
DO - 10.32942/x2mx28
UR - https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/14798/
AB - Fire is a globally important driver of ecosystem diversity and functioning, yet the frequency and behaviour of wildfire has become increasingly unpredictable as a result of climate change, posing risks to ecosystems, societies, and economies. Post-fire plant and animal community dynamics are often shaped by ecological, landscape, and fire characteristics, but as risk factors change, understanding community responses, rather than individual species, is critical for predicting post-fire trajectories and informing management. Temperate heathlands are of cultural, ecological, and economic importance in Europe but face heightened wildfire risk due to changing land management and climate. In April 2021, a wildfire burned extensive areas of mixed heathland within Killarney National Park, Ireland. Here, we used a paired burnt–unburnt experimental design to quantify the effects of this event on floral community composition and the availability of food resources for pollinating insects in heathland habitats. Results demonstrated a decrease in the number of insect pollinated flowers (floral units) during the first year post-fire, despite an overall floral unit increase driven by certain wind-pollinated species. However the effects became weaker two years post-fire, with increased compositional similarity between Fire and Control communities and an increase in insect-pollinated floral units, although responses varied seasonally. Some species occurred more frequently in Fire or Control sites, indicating distinct post-fire “winners” and “losers”. While there is evidence of post-fire floral recovery, proportional increases in certain fire-favouring species suggest potential shifts in community structure and resource availability for pollinators following wildfire. This has implications for the resilience of this landscape under altered fire-regimes and potential cascading effects on pollination services.
ER -