USask research explores impacts of increasing wildfires on biodiversity

by Matt Olson, University of Saskatchewan
April 7, 2026

Dr. Aaron Bell (PhD), a USask alumni, closely studied the biodiversity of birds, plants, and beetles on a series of lake islands in Lac la Ronge Provincial Park. These island ecosystems have burned at various times throughout the last 230 years, providing unique insights into how changing wildfire patterns are impacting biodiversity – or the variety of living things in a given area – on the nearby mainland.

Bell recently completed his PhD in biology in USask’s College of Arts and Science under the supervision of adjunct professor Dr. Iain Phillips (PhD) and supported by Dr. David Wardle (PhD) at Umeå University in Sweden. 

In his recently published research paper in Ecological Applications developed from his PhD research, Bell shared how the characteristics of wildfires help promote biodiversity by creating different habitats for a variety of species post-burn.

Keep reading: https://news.usask.ca/articles/research/2026/usask-research-explores-impacts-of-increasing-wildfires-on-biodiversity.php

Read the Ecological Applications paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.70218