COMMENTARY: The devastating effects of forest fires on animal and plant life

3 July 2023

Published by: https://www.saltwire.com

CANADA – As Canada has been beset with an unprecedented season of wildfires, with more than 400 active fires across the country, much attention has been given to the impact on humans. That ranges from the threats to health and safety for those who live in the immediate vicinity, to the air quality risks to those far away. But we can’t lose sight of the devastating effects of wildfires on those with whom we share the planet – wild species.

Wildfires can have devastating effects on wildlife. Beyond the loss of animals who perish in the fires, wildfires can have long-term impacts on animals’ health (particles can get in their lungs, as they can with ours), disrupt their ability to communicate with each other, and make it challenging to find food, fresh water, mates or to hold territory.

Particularly for migrating species, if a habitat is destroyed by wildfires, the species may struggle to find alternate stopovers along migratory routes. For species at risk, already with small or fragmented populations, the risk of local extinction is ever-present. This, in turn, can throw a whole ecosystem off balance.

Sustainable ecosystems need healthy biodiversity, everything from predators, prey, and a vast diversity of plant life, all the way down to the bacteria and invertebrates that break down waste in the environment. In forests, we need the animals that disperse seeds after eating fruit, to help trees reproduce and ensure a healthy habitat.

With wildfires happening more frequently, habitats don’t have enough time to recover, and they may no longer be suitable for the animal species that used to find food, water, mates or nesting habitat there. This can have serious implications for wildlife in the long term.

Plant life

It isn’t only animal species that are at risk, but plant life as well.

For example, Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula has 10 endangered plant species, three of which – Long’s braya, Fernald’s braya and Barrens willow – are endemic to the area, meaning that they don’t appear anywhere else in the world. Warming climates, changing precipitation and threats like wildfires put the entire species at risk of extinction.


For species at risk, already with small or fragmented populations, the risk of local extinction is ever-present. This, in turn, can throw a whole ecosystem off balance.


Or take the wood-poppy, an endangered flower found only in three small areas in Canada, all in southern Ontario. If any of these three populations face increased drought conditions brought on by a greater intensity of wildfires, we could lose a large subset of this species from Canada, which could have a devastating domino effect.

The Wilder Institute supports work being led by the University of Lethbridge to safeguard the wood poppy. Researchers use conservation translocations to create new populations of wood poppy in suitable habitats within the flowers’ historical range. With over 20 years of experience working and advising on conservation translocation projects around the world, the Wilder Institute team provides guidance and training to their partners that will contribute to the success of this initiative.

Research centre

At the Wilder Institute we are partnering with local organizations and agencies across the country to bolster the wild populations of species at risk, like greater sage-grouse, burrowing owl and the half-moon hairstreak butterfly.

Our support includes bringing some animals into human care at our Archibald Biodiversity Centre east of Calgary, a one-of-a-kind conservation breeding and research centre, to ensure they are in the best health before releasing them into the wild, transferring them to partners for release, or maintaining them under our care to safeguard the species’ genetics. We also work with local communities to find solutions to conservation challenges collectively, that benefit both wildlife and human life.

For those looking to help support species at risk, reach out to organizations in your area doing work to restore and preserve habitats and species. You can also learn more about the activities of the Wilder Institute at wilderinstitute.org.

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