Background:  The abiotic effects of fire include its role in changing air quality, water quality, soil properties, and nutrient cycling. Biotic effects include altering vegetation and related impacts on wildlife. Fire effects are the result of an interaction between the heat regime created by fire and ecosystem properties. The particular effect of fire on any one of these components (e.g., the fire severity) is not fixed, but will vary according to site characteristics and fire behavior.

Fire is a fundamental process of ecosystems that managers are challenged to address in order to meet resource and ecosystem management goals; land managers use fire to achieve beneficial effects and avoid unwanted results. [*]