• Energy Research

Fire is an integral part of the Earth System and humans have skillfully used fire for millennia. Yet human activities are scaling up and reinforcing each other in ways that are reshaping fire patterns across the planet. We review these changes using the concept of the fire regime, which describes the timing, location, and type of fires. We then explore the consequences of fire regime changes on the biological, chemical, and physical processes that sustain life on Earth. Anthropogenic drivers such as climate change, land use, and invasive species are shifting fire regimes and creating environments unlike any humanity has previously experienced. Although human exposure to extreme wildfire events is increasing, we highlight how knowledge of fire regimes can be mobilized to achieve a wide range of goals, from reducing carbon emissions to promoting biodiversity and human well-being. A fire regime perspective is critical to navigating toward a sustainable future—a better Anthropocene.

Novel fire regimes are emerging worldwide and pose substantial challenges to biodiversity conservation. Addressing these challenges and mitigating their impacts on biodiversity will require developing a wide range of fire management practices. In this paper, we leverage research across taxa, ecosystems and continents to highlight strategies for applying fire knowledge in biodiversity conservation. First, we define novel fire regimes and outline different fire management practices in contemporary landscapes from different parts of the world. Next, we synthesize recent research on fire use and biodiversity, and provide a decision-making framework for biodiversity conservation under novel fire regimes. We recommend that fire management strategies for preserving biodiversity should consider both social and ecological factors, iterative learning informed by effective monitoring, and developing and testing new management actions. An integrated approach to learning about fire and biodiversity will help to navigate the complexities of novel fire regimes and preserve biodiversity in a rapidly changing world. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Novel fire regimes under climate changes and human influences: impacts, ecosystem responses and feedbacks’.