Box 1.3 Applying the appropriate fire regime to meet management goals
Throughout the New World, fire regimes changed dramatically after Anglo settlement in concert with changes in ecosystem structure and function. Many ecosystems formerly characterized by frequent, low-intensity surface fires are now characterized by infrequent,high-intensity fires. Altered fire regimes have contributed to, and have resulted from, changes in ecosystem structure; for example,savannas typified by low-intensity surface fires have been replaced in many areas with dense forests that burn infrequently and at high intensities.