Fire Ecology Issue 9(1), April 2013, now up on the Web, is a special issue devoted to fire and wetlands.  The issue developed from a series of invited talks at a "Fire in Wetlands" session during the 9th International Association for Ecology (INTECOL) meeting in Orlando, Florida, 2012.  The collection of research in this issue is a product of that symposium.  Osborne et al. introduce the issue with a summary of the importance of fire in wetlands, with reference to each of the papers contained in the issue.

Liao et al. demonstrate a pronounced stimulation of microbial enzymes and available soil nitrogen levels following a prescribed burn in the phosphorus limited southern Everglades of Florida, USA.  In the same ecosystem, Medvedeff et al. further demonstrate how fire both stimulated and suppressed carbon related enzymes, leading to variable responses in production of greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4).  Much of these differences are attributed to the type and abundance of combustion residues (ash or char) which may act as both source of nutrients (N and P) or carbon.  Ruiz et al. describe how fire in combination with hydrology can instigate a negative effect on tree islands causing contraction in their spatial extent, or in extreme cases, loss of this sensitive community from the Everglades landscape. Conversely, Gagnon et al. report on the positive effects of fire on persistence and resilience of Arundinaria gigantea, a bamboo native to the southeastern United States, following combined windstorm and fire disturbances.   

Smith et al. report on several sites in the coastal Everglades where fire is a significant driver in the expansion of mangroves into herbaceous marsh areas, especially those dominated by dense emergent macrophytes.  Venne and Frederick report that wading birds are likely attracted to recently burned marsh areas due to more efficient feeding after the removal of dense vegetation.  Gorman et al. argue that the reticulated flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma bishopi) relies on fire to remove mid canopy vegetation and promote dense groundcover habitat necessary for reproduction.  Duever and Roberts present a conceptual ecological succession model synthesizing decades of investigation of the effects of hydrology and fire on south Florida vegetation communities. These types of succession models are useful and often requested tools for regional managers, as they enable predictions of vegetation succession under various managed disturbance regimes. Watts and Kobziar argue that while both societal and ecological impacts of smoldering fires in wetlands are often viewed negatively (smoke hazards, carbon release, direct vegetation mortality), such fires may in fact increase the water storage capacity of smaller wetlands. Finally, Jones et al. report on a method of using Landsat imagery to both document burn scars on the landscape and to determine post burn recovery. 

The special issue is intended to open a forum among scientists working in the realm of fire and wetlands. We see this effort as a catalyst for researchers to identify research needs and direct studies to help understand the complex interactions of ecosystem development and function in systems where fire and water intersect.