This textbook for upper-level courses in fire ecology and wildland fire management will help students design and conduct robust wildland fire research projects and critically interpret and apply fire science in any management, education, or policy situation. It emphasises variability in wildland fire as an ecological regime and provides tools for students, researchers and managers to assess and connect fire environment and fire behaviour to fire effects. Fire has not only shaped communities but pushed ecosystems beyond previous boundaries. Yet understanding the nature and effects of fire as an ecological disturbance has been slow, hampered by the complexity of the dynamic interactions between vegetation and climate and by fear of the destruction fire can bring. This book will help those who study, manage, and use wildland fire to develop new answers and novel solutions, based on an understanding of how fire functions in natural and social environments. It reviews literature, synthesises concepts, and identifies research gaps and policy needs. The book also explores the interaction of fire and human culture, demonstrating how fire policy can be made adaptable to cultural and socio-ecological objectives.