Scientists from the University of California Riverside discovered bacterial and fungi microbes that bounce back with remarkable speed. Researchers studying the 2018 Holy Fire in California that burned 23,136 acres found that the burn scar soil lost biomass and richness, but underwent rapid changes in the year after the fire. “Certain species increased in abundance, and in fact, there were really rapid changes in abundance over time in the burned soils [while ] there were no changes at all in the unburned soils,” said Sydney Glassman, UCR mycologist and header research. As wildfires become more frequent due to climate change, scientists wonder if these microbes can adapt quickly enough to ensure ecosystem recovery.