Fire is a critical and natural part of many ecosystems, but the nature of fire is rapidly shifting due to climate change. From a biological perspective, fire is a regular disturbance that affects the distribution and abundance of species and has shaped evolution for millions of years. Nevertheless, we are entering an unprecedented period where the dominant nature of fire is rapidly changing, disrupting both human and animal lives.

In this lecture, Professor Morgan Tingley will discuss the myriad ways that fire has shaped the ecology of birds and how the shifting nature of fire is impacting biodiversity. By learning how species are currently responding to a rapidly changing world, we are offered a glimpse into what our increasingly flammable future will hold.

Morgan Tingley joined the faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2020, after previously serving as an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a recipient of the “Wings across the Americas” conservation award from the U.S. Forest Service and is currently the President-Elect of the American Ornithological Society. His more than 100 research papers have been covered widely by the popular press, including features by The New York Times, LA Times, Audubon Magazine, NPR, and Washington Post.

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