California chaparral has evolved with fire as a frequent catastrophic disturbance of the entire plant and animal community. The effects of fire, both planned and unplanned, on animal populations are related in the short term to changes in food and cover availability and in the long term to changes in plant species diversity and productivity. Since fire is now being prescribed for the management of chaparral over large acreages, the effects on animals must be considered in the development of meaningful management strategies. Basic research on the effects of fire on animals must continue and include observations which can be directly related to pre-fire baseline information. Research of the effects of animals on the post-fire plant community is also appropriate.
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