In preparing a state-of-knowledge review for fire and fauna, our basic reference source was the chapter "Effects of Fire on Birds and Mammals," by J. F. Bendell (1974) in the book "Fire and Ecosystems". In addition to summarizing this 52-page paper, we added material covering invertebrates and stream fauna and attempted to recognize additional references published since 1974. In total, the material presented here summarizes about 450 citations.

One of the major problems in attempting any generalization about the effects of fire on fauna is the variation in fires: intensity, duration, frequency, location, shape, extent, season, fuels, sites, soils, and prescribed fires as compared to wildfire. Few studies are quantitative, have adequate controls, and have been carried on long enough to really assess effects on fauna. Another complicating factor is that much of the information about fire effects on fauna actually reports plant community modification by fire and the consequent influence on food, cover, and habitat used by various faunal species.

The effects of fire on fauna can be organized in a variety of ways, but one logical sequence is provided in the time series established by the fire:

1. Prior to any burn, some faunal species influence the probability that a fire will occur at all

2. During the active combustion stages some faunal species are killed, but many exhibit predictable behavior characteristics in the presence of fire.

3. The condition of the immediate post-fire environment leads to further specific behavioral responses within faunal populations

4. Over a longer period of time, plant community development influences population levels, survival and reproduction of most faunal groups.

5. And finally, in environments subjected to repeated fires, species evolution leads to common characteristics shared by many faunal groups.