Mechanisms of fire-caused tree death are far from resolved.

This scientific commentary discusses the mechanisms of tree death caused by fire. The authors highlight the importance of understanding how trees respond to fire, especially as fire regimes continue to change due to climate change. They explore various hypotheses for fire-induced tree mortality, including immediate causes such as necrosis or consumption of leaves and meristems, as well as delayed causes such as carbon imbalance/starvation and hydraulic dysfunction. The authors present a recent study that focuses on how fire can cause hydraulic dysfunction in trees and discuss the potential mechanisms involved. They also emphasize the need for further research to fully understand the complex physiological responses of trees to fire. [Extracted from the article]