Effects of anthropogenic wildfire in low-elevation Pacific island vegetation communities in French Polynesia

Abstract

Summary for the non-specialist reader: Wildfire at low elevations in remote Pacific islands is poorly characterized but likely all anthropogenic in origin. We show that wildfire in already heavily invaded low-elevation plant communities can lower native plant species richness, while increasing the relative abundance of non-native species. Wildfire also reduces the differences in plant communities among sites, and may exacerbate invasive species problems on Pacific islands by selecting for non-native, fire-adapted species over native ones.