Recovery of soil macrofauna after wildfires in boreal forests

► Forest fires reduced abundance, biomass and diversity of soil macrofauna. ► Animals of deep soil layers contributed mainly to immediate post-fire assemblages. ► Animals with good dispersal ability were early colonisers of the burnt area. ► There were no gradual immigration from the unburnt forest into the burnt area. ► Quality of the habitat was limiting the colonisation of the burnt area.