Herbivores and Controlled Fire: The Forgotten Duo Against Megafires
Fires are raging with more intensity than ever in the Mediterranean and tropical regions. Climate change is an obvious factor, but it doesn’t act alone. Policies of total fire suppression and the disappearance of large herbivores have disrupted a system that for millions of years was naturally regulated. Now, science suggests that restoring the interaction between fire and animals could be the most effective strategy to prevent mega fires.
The regulatory role of fire and herbivores
Plants didn’t evolve in a stable environment, but in one marked by droughts, pests, fires, and the constant presence of herbivores. While fire eliminated woody material, herbivores grazed on tender shoots. Both forces maintained mosaic landscapes with lower fuel loads and greater biological diversity.
The problem is that humans interrupted this balance: they eliminated natural fires through extinguishing policies and drastically reduced the presence of herbivores. The result has been an excess of dry vegetation that fuels increasingly destructive fires.
The paradox of extinguishing all fires
The so-called “fire paradox” demonstrates that systematically extinguishing flames generates a perverse effect. In the short term, it seems effective, but in the long term, the accumulation of fuel leads to much more intense fires. A review of 37 studies concluded that in 40% of cases, fire suppression favored mega fires later on, especially in Mediterranean and arid environments.
On the other hand, in regions where climate regulates fire behavior, extinction can be effective without great future risks.
Pyrrhic herbivory: combining fire and grazing
The solution proposed by researchers is to integrate so-called “prescribed burns” with multi-year grazing plans. This strategy, dubbed pyrrhic herbivory, aims to prevent flammable plant communities and promote varied and resilient landscapes. Domestic livestock and, when possible, wild megafauna, act as natural managers, reducing vegetation before it becomes a hazard.
Fire, when used technically, completes the cycle by recycling woody material. The result is a balanced environment with lower risk of uncontrolled fires.
A global challenge in times of climate change
The loss of megafauna is a global issue. Elephants, rhinos, and bison are at risk of extinction, and with them disappears an essential regulator of vegetation. Their absence, coupled with heatwaves and landscapes overloaded with fuel, multiplies the risk of devastating fires.
That’s why experts are calling for comprehensive policies that include wildlife conservation, promotion of extensive grazing, controlled burns, and more. As researcher Rosa María Canals summarizes: “Fires will return, but we can reduce their virulence by restoring the role of herbivores and fire as natural managers of the land.”
