In the absence of regular fires

Most researchers agree that fire suppression is altering many ecosystems. Forests are becoming older and more closed-in. The open habitats favoured by many species of wildlife are getting rarer. We are losing the vegetation mosaic and the biodiversity it sustains. These effects are far-reaching, for they affect not only parks but surrounding lands as well.

In the absence of regular fires, we now have less diverse forests, which offers less diversity of wildlife habitat, forests that are more susceptible to insects and disease and an increased chance of wildfire due to a build-up of fire fuels in our forests.