Research project Reconstructing plant–fire associations in Madagascar using the genus Erica
Fire both shapes and threatens Madagascar’s ecosystems, yet we still lack a clear understanding of how plants vary in their response to it.
This project explores how fire-adapted traits have evolved in Malagasy plants, using Erica as a model system. By combining phylogenomics, field measurements, and evolutionary modelling, we aim to link plant traits to fire regimes and improve conservation and fire management strategies.
Erica sp. (left) and wildfire (symbolic). Photo: Michael D. Pirie (CC BY 4.0) / Leonora Enking (Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0) / modified with AI (GPT 5.0)
Fire plays a complex role in Madagascar, shaping ecosystems in ways that can be both beneficial and harmful. However, limited understanding of how plant species respond to different fire regimes currently constrains effective conservation and land management strategies. This project aims to address that gap by uncovering how plants in Madagascar have adapted to fire over time.
To improve fire management, it is essential to understand how plant–fire relationships vary across environments and through evolutionary history. This project focuses on identifying and characterising fire-adapted traits in Malagasy plants, and linking these traits to different fire regimes. By doing so, we aim to provide a clearer picture of how vegetation responds to fire across the landscape.
A key objective is to trace the evolution of fire adaptations back to the Miocene (approximately 5–7 million years ago). This will establish a baseline for understanding the natural, pre-human role of fire in Madagascar’s ecosystems.
The project integrates multiple approaches:
- Phylogenomics to reconstruct evolutionary relationships and trait histories
- Fieldwork and specimen-based analyses to measure fire-related traits in plants
- Evolutionary modelling to track how these traits have changed over millions of years
The genus Erica will serve as a model system, providing a focused case study for investigating links between plant traits and fire regimes. By systematically measuring fire-related traits across Erica species, we will characterise the diversity of fire adaptations and examine how these traits have evolved over time.
By revealing how plant–fire associations vary across space and time, this project will generate critical insights for conservation planning. A deeper understanding of natural fire dynamics and plant responses will support more targeted and effective fire management strategies in Madagascar’s unique and vulnerable ecosystems.