Fire is an important driver of ecosystem dynamics worldwide. However, knowledge on broad-scale patterns of ecosystem and organism responses to fires is still scarce. Through a systematic quantitative review of available studies across South America, we assessed fire effects on biodiversity and abundance of different organisms (i.e., plants, fungi, invertebrates, and vertebrates), plant fitness, and soil properties under four climate types, and time since the last fire (i.e., early and late post fire). We addressed: (1) What fire effects have been studied across South America? (2) What are the overall responses of biodiversity, abundance, fitness, and soil properties to fires? (3) How do climate and time since fire modulate those responses? We analyzed 160 articles reporting 1465 fire responses on paired burned and unburned conditions. We found no effect of fire on biodiversity or on invertebrate abundance, a negative effect on woody plant species and vertebrate abundance, and an increase in shrub fitness. Soil in burned areas had higher bulk density and pH, and lower organic matter and nitrogen. Fire effect was significantly more positive at early than at late post fire for plant fitness and for soil phosphorus and available nitrogen. Stronger negative effects in semiarid climate compared to humid warm climate suggest that higher temperatures and water availability allow a faster ecosystem recovery after fire. Our review highlights the complexity of the climate–fire–vegetation feedback when assessing the response of soil properties and different organisms at various levels. The resilience observed in biodiversity may be expected considering the large number of fire-prone ecosystems in South America. The recovery of invertebrate abundance, the reduction of the vertebrate abundance, and the loss of nitrogen and organic matter coincide with the responses found in global reviews at early post-fire times. The strength of these responses was further influenced by climate type and post-fire time. Our synthesis provides the first broad-scale diagnosis of fire effects in South America, helping to visualize strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in fire research. It also brings much needed information for developing adequate land management in a continent where fire plays a prominent socio-ecological role.

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南美生态系统火灾影响的回顾：火灾以来的气候和时间的作用

火灾是全球生态系统动态的重要驱动力。但是，关于火灾的生态系统和生物反应的广泛模式的知识仍然匮乏。通过对整个南美地区现有研究的系统定量回顾，我们评估了火灾对四种气候类型下生物多样性和不同生物体（即植物，真菌，无脊椎动物和脊椎动物），植物适应性和土壤特性的影响，以及自最后一次火灾（即早期和后期火灾）。我们研究了以下问题：（1）在整个南美，研究了哪些火灾影响？（2）生物多样性，丰度，适应性和土壤性质对火灾的总体反应是什么？（3）火灾以来的气候和时间如何调节这些响应？我们分析了160篇文章，报告了成对燃烧和未燃烧条件下的1465次火灾响应。我们没有发现火对生物多样性或无脊椎动物的丰度没有影响，对木本植物物种和脊椎动物的丰度没有负面影响，并且灌木适应性增加。烧毁地区的土壤具有较高的堆积密度和pH值，而有机质和氮含量较低。对于植物适应性以及土壤磷和有效氮而言，火灾早期的火灾效果比火灾后期的积极效果明显更好。与潮湿温暖的气候相比，半干旱气候的负面影响更强，这表明较高的温度和可利用的水量使火灾后的生态系统恢复更快。我们的评估强调了在评估土壤特性和不同水平的不同生物的响应时，气候-火-植被反馈的复杂性。考虑到南美大量易生火灾的生态系统，在生物多样性中观察到的复原力是可以预期的。无脊椎动物的丰度的恢复，脊椎动物的丰度的减少以及氮和有机质的流失与火灾后早期全球评估中发现的响应相吻合。这些反应的强度进一步受到气候类型和火灾后时间的影响。我们的综合报告提供了南美首次对火灾影响的大规模诊断，有助于可视化火灾研究中的优势，劣势和差距。它还为在火起着重要社会生态作用的非洲大陆发展适当的土地管理提供了急需的信息。氮和有机物的损失与火灾后早期全球评估中发现的反应相吻合。这些反应的强度进一步受到气候类型和火灾后时间的影响。我们的综合报告提供了南美首次对火灾影响的大规模诊断，有助于可视化火灾研究中的优势，劣势和差距。它还为在火起着重要社会生态作用的非洲大陆发展适当的土地管理提供了急需的信息。氮和有机物的损失与火灾后早期全球评估中发现的反应相吻合。这些反应的强度进一步受到气候类型和火灾后时间的影响。我们的综合报告提供了南美首次对火灾影响的大规模诊断，有助于可视化火灾研究中的优势，劣势和差距。它还为在火起着重要社会生态作用的非洲大陆发展适当的土地管理提供了急需的信息。和火灾研究方面的差距。它还为在火起着重要社会生态作用的非洲大陆发展适当的土地管理提供了急需的信息。和火灾研究方面的差距。它还为在火起着重要社会生态作用的非洲大陆发展适当的土地管理提供了急需的信息。