Avian species richness in a frequently burned ecosystem: a link between pyrodiversity and biodiversity

Context Fire influences the distribution of ecosystems on Earth, but the link between pyrodiversity, the heterogeneity in post-fire conditions, and biodiversity is just emerging. Objectives We tested the pyrodiversity begets biodiversity theory, which was developed at broader scales, to a scale where land management decisions are commonly made. Methods To assess the effects of landscape attributes on avian species richness, we deployed programmable acoustic recorders at 34 sites in a frequently burned longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) ecosystem which were set to record three, five–minute sessions per day for six days for two years. We identified avian species by their vocalizations and grouped them by nesting and forging guilds to assess the effects of land cover type, soil productivity, forest structure and fire history characteristics including, pyrodiversity on species richness and occupancy at the community, guild, and species levels using hierarchical Bayesian multispecies occupancy models. We defined pyrodiversity as the richness in time since fire values around a site. Results We found support for the pyrodiversity begets biodiversity hypothesis at the community level, as avian species richness increased with pyrodiversity (β = 0.136, 95% CrI 0.009–0.260). Species richness of cavity nesting species decreased with increasing time since fire, suggesting frequent fire increases diversity of this guild (β = − 0.334, 95% CrI − 0.713 to − 0.003). Conclusions Our work highlights the importance of pyrodiversity as a driver for biodiversity, and links theory to practices by examining this phenomenon at a scale readily translated into conservation action.