Toward a functional understanding of novel fire regimes in tropical forests

Climate change and land-use alterations are driving forest fires to unprecedented frequencies and intensities worldwide. Even wet tropical forests—historically rarely subjected to fire—are increasingly experiencing fire disturbances. The impact of wildfires on these forests is likely large, since many of their tree species are not adapted to fire. The extent of the consequences depends on complex feedback mechanisms between fire and vegetation, with plant functional traits playing a critical role. However, how different traits may drive fire–vegetation dynamics in such ecosystems is poorly understood due to limited consolidation of relevant data. This uncertainty leaves the future of tropical forests in question. In this review, we explore how functional traits influence the feedback between fire and vegetation. Specifically, we examine how functional traits of species shape (1) fire regimes (here considered in terms of fire frequency and intensity) through fuel characteristics, (2) their resistance to fire, and (3) their recovery after fire. Resilience is conceptualized as resistance to biomass loss and capacity for post-disturbance biomass recovery. We provide a comprehensive overview of these traits and 12 mechanisms involved. Since the relative importance of these traits and mechanisms for fire dynamics and species’ fire resilience remains unknown, we conclude by outlining possible scenarios for how novel fire regimes might affect tropical forest resilience. We also identify knowledge gaps and avenues for future research to improve our understanding of fire–vegetation dynamics in tropical forests.