Abstract Populations of Attwater's prairie‐chicken ( Tympanuchus cupido attwateri ), once widespread across the Gulf Coastal Prairies of North America, remain critically endangered. Lek counts of displaying males provide the primary basis for population monitoring, yet these counts are vulnerable to detection error and fail to capture underlying demographic processes. We applied hierarchical Bayesian N‐mixture and Dail–Madsen models to 23 years of lek count data (2002–2024) from Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge to estimate detection‐adjusted abundance and population trend, and assess relationships between abundance, demographic rates, and responses to environmental drivers. The top‐performing N‐mixture model estimated a mean annual population growth rate of 3% (95% CRI: 1%, 5%), providing statistically supported evidence of a positive trend, whereas the naïve count‐based estimate showed no significant change over time. Dail–Madsen models indicated recruitment, rather than survival, as the primary demographic constraint. Environmental covariates revealed that abundance peaked at intermediate levels of perennial forb and grass cover and under moderate drought conditions, with declines observed under vegetative overgrowth and excessive moisture. The interaction between precipitation and the median time since fire revealed that short median time since fire intervals were associated with greater abundance during normal to wet years, underscoring the importance of frequent prescribed fires (median 2‐ to 3‐year intervals). These results provide the first detection‐corrected trend estimates for this species and offer a model‐based framework for linking weather, vegetation, and fire history with population dynamics. Our findings directly inform adaptive management strategies contributing to recovery for this species and demonstrate how robust analyses of long‐term lek data enhance conservation decision‐making for endangered grassland birds.

Background: Understanding fire regimes is important for developing conservation strategies for drought-tolerant species with serotine cones; although, no fire-frequency studies have been undertaken in Pinus greggii a serotine species. Hypotheses: Fire occurrence in Pinus greggii stands are related to climatic conditions prior to and during the fire year, but fire regimes have changed in the last two decades induced by anthropogenic disturbances changing the fire regime. Studied species: Pinus greggii Engelm. Descriptive statistics of the fire regime. Superposed Epoch Analysis. Study site and dates: El Penitente, Cañón de las Norias, Cañón del Negro, in the municipalities of Arteaga and Saltillo, Coahuila. Year 2019. Methods: Samples from 99 fire-scarred trees at three sites in the Sierra de Zapalinamé Coahuila were collected and dated using dendrochronological techniques. Results: The fire regime was analyzed from 1840 to 2014. Most fires occurred in spring, except in CNO, where fires occurred in summer. The average fire interval for the three sites was 4-7 years with small fires, more extensive fires were less frequent (8-15 years). The occurrence of fires in TVE was significantly associated with indices of the Southern Oscillation (SOI). Fire frequencies have changed in recent decades, due to land-use changes at CNO and CNE, but not at TVE, the most isolated site with least human disturbance. Conclusions: The fire regime in populations of Pinus greggii was associated with natural climate variability and sites with greater human influence showed no significant association with climate.

Context Urban-sensitive species face a heightened risk of extinction in bushland remnants on the urban edge. Understanding the habitat factors that influence their occupancy is essential for effective conservation management in peri-urban landscapes. Aims This study aimed to identify the key landscape and habitat factors influencing the occupancy of the eastern pygmy possum (Cercartetus nanus), as an urban-sensitive species, in peri-urban northern Sydney. Methods We used occupancy modelling to examine the relationships between occupancy and environmental covariates, on the locality (home range) and landscape scales. Surveys were conducted in peri-urban bushland remnants using nest boxes over a 7-year period. Key results Detection probability peaked in autumn at 0.49 (s.e. 0.05) per visit, coinciding with the flowering of key foraging resources, and was lowest in summer at 0.27 (s.e. 0.06). The occupancy estimate under median conditions was 50%, indicating widespread occupancy by this threatened species in the peri-urban study area. Occupancy was positively associated with the extent of remnant native vegetation in the landscape (potentially a surrogate for connectivity) and an increasing proportion of the landscape that had burnt. When native vegetation comprised at least 50% of a 500 m buffer (~40 ha), occupancy probability was ≥70%. Occupancy was ≥70% when at least 50% of the native vegetation (500 m buffer) had been burnt in the 30 years prior to survey. Conclusions These findings highlight the need for management actions that enhance both the extent and quality of native vegetation around known populations, particularly with key foraging resources. Fire management, particularly for prescribed burns, will be important for the species; however, further research is required to determine optimal fire intervals and intensities. Implications Effective habitat management, including increasing native vegetation cover and appropriate fire management practices, is crucial for the long-term survival of the eastern pygmy possum in peri-urban areas. Further research is needed to determine optimal fire intervals and intensities for conservation efforts.

Historical range of wildfire regime in black pine forests outside actual target of public policies.

Fire is increasingly used as a management tool in temperate deciduous forests, but the effects of fire on arthropods in these systems remain unclear. Here, we used flight-intercept traps to sample beetle assemblages (Coleoptera) in portions of a temperate deciduous forest of eastern North America subjected to either a higher-severity burn, a lower-severity burn, or no burn. We collected beetles immediately following the burns and for up to 2 yr post-burn. Average (±SE) beetle abundance did not differ between the higher-severity (45 ± 13) and lower-severity (55 ± 26) burns but was 2× higher in the burned sites vs. the unburned site (25 ± 6). Likewise, traps in the 2 burned sites captured a similar number of beetle species (17 ± 0.5 and 15 ± 0.5, respectively), and more species than in the unburned site (12 ± 0.4). These patterns were consistent over time post-burn in all sites. Beetle composition also consistently differed between the burned and unburned sites; bark and ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) were the most abundant groups in the burned sites. Species turnover (beta diversity) was highest in the unburned site. Eleven species were associated with specific combinations of burn treatment and time post-burn. The results suggest that fire severity and time post-burn play key roles in structuring local beetle assemblages and that longer fire intervals (≥3 yr) are required to facilitate recovery. Measuring beetle responses to fire in temperate deciduous forests improves our understanding of the effects of disturbance-based management on local biodiversity.

The dynamics of signal transmission in neuronal networks remain incompletely understood. In this study, we propose a novel Rulkov neuronal network model that incorporates Q-learning, a reinforcement learning method, to establish efficient signal transmission pathways. Using a simulated neuronal network, we focused on a key parameter that modulates both the intrinsic dynamics of individual neurons and the input signals received from active neighbors. We investigated how variations in this parameter affect signal transmission efficiency by analyzing changes in attenuation rate, as well as the maximum and minimum firing intervals of the start and goal neurons. Our simulations revealed that signal transmission efficiency between distant neurons was significantly impaired in the parameter region, where a chaotic attractor and an attractor of the eight-periodic points are observed to co-exist. A key finding was that low-frequency oscillatory bursts, while failing long-distance transmission, were capable of amplifying signals in neighboring neurons. Furthermore, we observed variation in signal transmission even when individual neuron dynamics remained similar. This variability, despite similar presynaptic activity, is a biologically significant phenomenon, and it is argued that it may contribute to the flexibility and robustness of information processing. These findings are discussed in the context of their biological implications.

Background Site-specific data about fire regimes and ecosystem attributes is valuable for developing conservation strategies. Aims We determined fire history linked to forest attributes in Talassemtane National Park, Morocco, which conserves rare species at the northern tip of Africa. Methods We sampled fire-scarred conifers at three high-elevation forest sites, along with forest measurements. Key results Surface fires recurred frequently at all sites (mean fire intervals 15–23 years) over the period 1879–2018, burning primarily in the late summer. Fires were not highly synchronous among sites and were not climate-driven, suggesting a pattern of human ignitions at times when burning was safe. Stands were dominated by large and old Pinus and Abies trees that had survived numerous surface fires. Sites where fires continued to the present had relatively open structure with few ladder fuels. The site where 36 years had passed since the last fire had a dense mid-storey of sprouting Quercus trees. Conclusions Fire regimes and forest attributes were linked with fire-quiescent periods associated with high tree density, creating ladder fuels that could support crown fire. Implications Maintaining frequent-fire regimes in these forests could provide benefits for reducing fuels, avoiding undesired fires under extreme conditions, and supporting adaptation to warmer climate.

This research presents a pioneering framework to augment fire safety management within edifices by amalgamating real-time surveillance and adaptive evacuation methodologies. The proposed framework markedly enhances the efficacy of fire detection and the efficiency of evacuation processes. In an empirical investigation conducted on a 12-story residential structure in Wuhan, China, the implemented system achieved a 30% reduction in fire detection intervals and a 25% decrease in evacuation timeframes. The principal innovation of this framework resides in formulating an Improved Risk Index (ERI), which synthesizes real-time information garnered from environmental sensors, including temperature, smoke, and carbon monoxide concentrations, with architectural configurations and fire behavior to evaluate evacuation hazards. This system realized a detection accuracy rate of 95.2% and a 40% reduction in the necessity for manual inspections, surpassing the performance of conventional fire safety systems. The synthesis of real-time data with dynamic evacuation pathways enhanced emergency response times by equipping facility managers and emergency responders with instantaneous access to critical building intelligence. The framework complies with international and local fire safety regulations, ensuring its functional applicability across diverse types of buildings. This scholarly work offers a novel, scalable approach for improving fire safety management, potentially mitigating fire-induced damage and bolstering occupant safety within contemporary structures.

Abstract Forest ecosystems across western North America are experiencing increasingly large and severe wildfire disturbances. From 2012 to 2024, approximately 600,000 ha of forest in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, British Columbia's largest protected area, were impacted by wildfires. These wildfires burned primarily through lower elevation subboreal forests, but high‐severity fire also impacted subalpine and treeline ecosystems across the mountainous provincial park. Whitebark pine is a long‐lived and endangered high‐elevation tree species experiencing extensive mortality throughout western North America from an invasive pathogen and recent large‐scale outbreaks of mountain pine beetle. To understand the impacts of changing fire regimes on subboreal and subalpine whitebark pine ecosystems, we reconstructed the first fire history in North Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. Eleven study sites containing whitebark pine were sampled along lakeshores, islands, knolls, and ridgelines. Our fire history record indicated two key findings. First, fire‐scarred trees provided evidence of low‐severity fire at all 11 study sites. Our dendrochronological record covered 830 years (1190–2020) and included 127 fire scars during a 580‐year period (1377–1957), with a composite mean fire interval of 8 years in the period 1580–1957 recorded across the study area. Second, our results highlight centuries of Indigenous fire stewardship that, combined with lightning, comprised the historical fire regime. Prior to 20th century fire suppression policies, the fire regime was characterized by shorter fire intervals than the contemporary period, effectively reducing available fuels, and creating a mosaic of burned and unburned forests across the landscape. Our research findings highlight the need for proactive and dynamic wildfire management that supports multiple cultural and ecological values across protected areas.

This study explores the multiphase coupling characteristics and evolutionary mechanisms of the flow field in an underwater asynchronous launching. By integrating computational fluid dynamics simulation, high-speed imaging techniques, and experimental validations, the research elucidates the evolutionary characteristics of the muzzle multiphase flow field under asynchronous launching conditions. The volume of fluid method is employed to trace and computationally address the multiphase interfaces, while the realizable k-epsilon turbulence model is utilized to solve the gas–liquid turbulence mixing effects in the flow field. Based on this foundation, a three-dimensional unsteady multiphase flow model is used to analyze the complex interactions among the water, gas, and solid phases of the muzzle multiphase flow field of a dual-barrel underwater gun at varying launch time intervals. The results indicate that the interaction between the gas jet and water generates vortices on both sides of the muzzle, with shorter firing intervals leading to earlier muzzle vortex formation in dual-barrel asynchronous launches. The Mach disk structure in flow field I (created by the first projectile) forms approximately at 0.15 ms, while flow field II (created by the subsequent projectile), being disturbed by flow field I, forms the Mach disk later (at 0.2 ms). Moreover, a shorter firing time interval is associated with a further delay in the formation of the Mach disk in flow field II. The axial displacement of the Mach disk in both flow fields exhibits exponential growth over time.

Fires are a key environmental driver that modify ecosystems and global biodiversity. Fires can negatively and positively impact biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, depending on how frequently fire occurs in the focal ecosystem, but factors influencing biodiversity responses to fire are inadequately understood. We conduct a pan-tropical analysis of systematically collated data spanning 5257 observations of 1705 plant species (trees and shrubs, forbs, graminoids and climbers) in burnt and unburnt plots from 28 studies. We use model averaging of mixed effect models assessing how plant species richness and turnover (comparing burnt and unburnt communities) vary with time since fire, fire type, protected area status and biome type (fire sensitive or fire adaptive). Our analyses bring three key findings. First, prescribed and non-prescribed burns have contrasting impacts on plant species richness (trees/shrubs and climbers); prescribed fire favours increased species richness compared to non-prescribed burns. Second, the effect of time since fire on the recovery of species composition varies across all life form groups; forb's species composition recovered faster over all life forms. Third, protection status alters fire impacts on the species richness of trees/shrubs and climbers and species recovery of graminoids. Non-protected areas exhibit higher species richness compared to protected areas in trees/shrubs, and climbers. Graminoid species composition recovered quicker in protected sites compared to unprotected ones. Since fire intervals are decreasing in fire-sensitive biomes and increasing in fire-adaptive biomes, plant communities across much of the tropics are likely to change in response to exposure to fire in the future.

ABSTRACTFire is a critical driver of many Australian ecosystems, including the groundwater‐dependent heathlands on Australia's east coast. However, the effects of intense wildfires under drought conditions, associated with depletion of groundwater and soil moisture, are poorly documented, and mechanisms of vegetation recovery, particularly for obligate seeders and resprouters, are unclear. We aimed to assess the impacts of an intense wildfire on vegetation structure and species composition in a long‐unburnt groundwater‐dependent heathland, focusing on the responses of obligate seeder and resprouter species and the role of environmental factors in post‐fire recovery. A before–after control–impact study was conducted at Bribie Island, Queensland, following a 2019 wildfire. Vegetation responses were analysed using a generalised linear model, with environmental factors such as rainfall, soil moisture and groundwater levels evaluated for their influence on recovery. Our results demonstrated that shrub counts recovered and exceeded pre‐fire levels within 3 years. Species richness returned to pre‐fire levels after 2 years but did not reach the peak observed during high‐moisture conditions 3 years before the fire. The post‐fire response included a slow species richness rebound and incomplete recovery. Obligate seeders showed a variable response, with some dominant populations failing to recover, while resprouters exhibited significant declines. These outcomes are linked to the varying capacity of heathland flora to cope with intense fire during low soil moisture and groundwater deficits. The results of this study suggest that intense wildfires during dry conditions may adversely affect some obligate seeder and resprouter populations, even after long fire intervals. Full consideration of fire intensity, timing and environmental conditions such as soil moisture and groundwater levels are essential for effective vegetation management. Furthermore, prescriptive fire management should focus on burning during periods of high soil moisture to reduce fire severity and enhance post‐fire regeneration.

In light of the current issue of commercial and modified drones frequently intruding into sensitive locations such as airports, this paper proposes the use of quadrotor drones equipped with a launch device for interception. For an “X”-shaped quadrotor drone equipped with a two-degree-of-freedom gimbal launch device, dynamic, control, and ballistic models are constructed to analyze the impact of single-shot firing on the drone’s attitude and the factors affecting accuracy in rapid-fire scenarios. Simulation results indicate that downward firing has the highest shooting accuracy and is suitable for counter-drone missions. For single-shot firing, lateral downward firing compared to frontal firing can effectively reduce attitude and position changes, which is beneficial for engaging stationary targets. In the case of rapid fire, control of the firing interval is crucial for accuracy; a larger firing interval can significantly enhance shooting precision. When firing small payloads in rapid succession, vertical downward firing has the highest accuracy, while lateral firing results in a larger distribution radius of the impact points. To improve shooting accuracy, frontal firing is recommended. Future research will further explore the dynamic response of drones under different firing conditions and develop more advanced control strategies to enhance their practical performance and reliability.

ABSTRACTThe time interval between fires is a critical component of the fire regime that affects plant species persistence in fire‐prone ecosystems. Fire intervals that are too short or too long may not support regeneration from seed banks or resprouting. Fire intervals that support adequate regeneration may also vary with other factors such as climate, herbivory, and population structure. Using field data on flowering and canopy seed banks, we modelled post‐fire reproduction for woody fire‐killed (obligate seeding) and resprouting species under varying rainfall and herbivory along a 35‐year fire age chronosequence in Banksia woodlands in southwestern Australia. We found that fire‐killed species attained reproductive maturity rapidly after fire with predicted juvenile periods (time to 50% flowering) of 1.5–2.3 years for shrubs and 4 years for trees. Resprouting species had similar juvenile periods to fire‐killed species (1–3.5 years for resprouting shrubs, 4.4 years for resprouting trees). Reproduction varied with rainfall and herbivory with juvenile periods at least doubling under low rainfall or high herbivory for some species. Serotinous species produced cones (woody fruits containing seeds) shortly after flowering commenced, with some evidence of seed bank decline in the oldest sites. While reproduction was clearly correlated with time since fire, plant size was a much stronger predictor. Some species form multi‐cohort populations which can introduce large variation into post‐fire reproductive trajectories, and this should be considered when making decisions about fire intervals that may impact species persistence. This study provides critical information to assess fire interval‐related threats for Banksia woodlands and suggests that woody species of these woodlands are generally tolerant of a wide range of fire intervals. Only the slowest‐maturing, fire‐killed species (Banksia prionotes, Proteaceae) may require fire intervals > 10 years to reduce immaturity risk under the least favourable growing conditions, and this species often occurs in discrete patches in the landscape such that fire management can be tailored accordingly.

Fuel accumulation shapes post-fire fuel decomposition through soil heating effects on plants, fungi, and soil chemistry.

Individual and interactive effects of changing climate and shifting fire regimes are influencing many plant species across the globe. Climate change will likely have significant impacts on plant population viability over time by altering environmental conditions and wildfire regimes as well as influencing species demographic traits. However, the outcomes of these complex interactions for different plant functional types under future climate conditions have been rarely examined. We used a proof‐of‐concept case‐study approach to model multiple plant species across two functional plant types, obligate seeder and facultative resprouter, to examine the interactive effects of demographic shifts and fire regime change on population persistence across two landscapes of over 7000 km2 in temperate southeastern Australia. Our approach involves a novel combination of a fire regime simulation tool with a spatially explicit population viability analysis model. We simulated fire regimes under six different future climates representing different temperature and precipitation shifts and combined them with 16 hypothetical plant demographic change scenarios, characterised by changes to individual or multiple plant demographic processes. Plant populations were more likely to decline or become extinct due to changes in demographic processes than in the fire regime alone. Although both functional types were vulnerable to climate‐induced changes in demography, obligate seeder persistence was also negatively influenced by future fire regimes characterised by shorter fire intervals. Integrating fire regime simulations with spatially explicit population viability analyses increased our capacity to identify those plant functional types most at risk of extinction, and why, as fire regimes change with climate change. This flexible framework is a first step in exploring the complex interactions that will determine plant viability under changing climates and will improve research and fire management prioritisation for species into the future.

Context Obligate-seeding woody plants with long reproductive maturity periods and no soil seed banks are threatened with decline as climate change drives more frequent and severe fires, such as the extensive 2019–2020 wildfires in south-eastern Australia. Aims This study aimed to investigate the effects of fire intervals and severity on the persistence of one such species, Banksia cunninghamii (Hairpin Banksia), in temperate forests. Methods We measured post-fire seedling recruitment of B. cunninghamii at 25 sites in Victoria, burned at various severities in the 2019–2020 wildfires and with differing prior fire intervals. A Bayesian framework was used to model the relationship between seedling numbers, fire severity and fire interval. A spatial analysis compared a species distribution model for B. cunninghamii with fire severity and fire intervals. Key results There was a low chance of B. cunninghamii recruitment (<25%) at sites that either had burned eucalypt canopies or a preceding fire interval of less than 12 years. Sixty-seven percent of its distribution in the south-east of the state of Victoria was mapped as burned at high severity (burned eucalypt canopies) between 1998 and 2020, or burned at shorter than 12 year intervals between 1960 and 2020, although some B. cunninghamii populations will have persisted due to the patchiness of past burns. Conclusions Banksia cunninghamii is vulnerable to local extinctions in the wildfire-affected areas if fires occur again before plants reach maturity, or if high fire severity destroys seeds. Implications More frequent and severe wildfires mean that burn planning needs to consider the reproductive cycles of serotinous obligate-seeding plants.

Abstract Fire regimes are changing globally, leading to an increased need for management interventions to protect human lives and interests, potentially conflicting with biodiversity conservation. We conceptualized 5 major aspects of the process required to address threats to flora and used this conceptual model to examine and identify areas for improvement. We focused on threat identification, policy design, and action implementation. We illustrated the application of the conceptual model through a case study in southeastern Australia, where policies have been designed to prevent hazard reduction burns from exposing threatened flora to high‐frequency fire (HFF). We examined whether threatened species have been accurately identified as threatened by HFF, species were accounted for in key policies, and implementation of the policy reduced the incidence of HFF for target species. Species were mostly identified accurately as being threatened by HFF, and, broadly, the policy effectively minimized the threat from HFF. However, 96 species did not have HFF identified as a threat, and another 36 were missing from the policy entirely. Outcomes regarding the reduction of threat from HFF since policy introduction were species specific, despite an average increase in fire interval of 2 years. Despite the policy, over half (55%) the species studied have been affected by HFF since the policy was introduced. Although relatively minor improvements could optimize threat identification and policy design, the mixed success of action implementation highlights limitations that warrant further investigation. Our conceptual model enabled us to make clear and targeted recommendations for how different aspects of the policy could be improved and where further work is needed. We propose the conceptual model can be useful in a variety of contexts.

Alcohol exposure induces cortical activity change during quiescent state

In fire-prone regions, the occurrence of some faunal species is contingent on the presence of resources that arise through post-fire plant succession. Through planned burning, managers can alter resource availability and aim to provide the conditions required to promote biodiversity. Understanding how species occurrence changes at different spatial and temporal scales after fire is essential to achieve this goal. However, many fire prescriptions are guided primarily by the responses of fire-sensitive plants when setting tolerable fire intervals. This approach assumes that maintaining floristic diversity will satisfy the requirements of fauna. We surveyed bird species in two semi-arid vegetation types across an environmental gradient in south-eastern Australia. We conducted four surveys at each of 253 sites across a 75-year chronosequence of time since fire and used generalized additive mixed models to examine changes in the occurrence of birds in response to time since fire. Model predictions were compared to plant-derived fire prescriptions currently guiding fire management in the region. Time since fire was a significant predictor for 18 of 28 species modeled, in at least one vegetation type, over a gradient of 1.3° of latitude. We detected considerable variation in the responses of some species, both between vegetation types and geographically within a vegetation type. Our evaluation of plant-derived fire prescriptions suggests that the intervals considered acceptable for maintaining floristic diversity may not be sustainable for populations of birds requiring longer unburnt vegetation, with 6 of the 12 species assessed attaining a mean occurrence probability of 20.3% by the minimum tolerable fire interval, and 57.3% by the maximum tolerable fire interval, in their respective vegetation types. Our findings highlight the potential vulnerability of fire-responsive bird species if fire prescriptions are applied in a manner that fails to account for the slow development of habitat resources needed by some species, and the variation detected within the responses of species. This highlights the need for species-specific data collected at an appropriate spatial scale to inform management plans.