Fire enhances the complexity of forest structure in alpine treeline ecotones

Alpine treelines are expected to move upward in a warming climate, but downward in response to increases in wildfire. We studied the effects of fire on vegetation structure and composition across four alpine treeline ecotones extending from Abies lasiocarpa/Picea engelmannii forests at lower elevations, through Pinus albicaulis / Larix lyallii parkland, to alpine tundra. We estimated the probabilities of burning and transitions between states...