Disturbance and productivity interactions mediate stability of forest composition and structure

Fire is returning to many conifer‐dominated forests where species composition and structure have been altered by fire exclusion. Ecological effects of these fires are influenced strongly by the degree of forest change during the fire‐free period. Response of fire‐adapted species assemblages to extended fire‐free intervals is highly variable, even in communities with similar historical fire regimes. This variability in plant community response to...