Post-fire Restoration of Mediterranean Pine Forests

Abstract

Pines are a major component of the forests in Mediterranean-type ecosystems, and have been extensively used for reforestation in the Mediterranean Basin and in other parts of the world. However, the increase in fire severity and frequency in recent decades and the sensitivity of most pine species to fire are threatening their future, often making restoration actions necessary. Restoration should focus on promoting the elements of the ecosystem that accelerate the recovery of the desired forest while reducing management impacts. Currently, forest recovery of burnt pine stands is based largely on immediate and intense management, usually generalized across the landscape. These actions include post-fire salvage logging, mulching, construction of log erosion barriers, planting, and other activities that frequently involve the use of heavy machinery. However, although the ultimate goal is forest recovery, these actions, by the time they are implemented, may hamper natural regeneration by affecting several key ecosystem functions and processes, such as nutrient cycling, plant-animal interactions, and the seedling and resprout bank. Here, I advocate for considering post-fire biological legacies (including the burnt wood) and promoting natural processes as fundamental elements for fostering forest regeneration. This approach may be more effective than intense interventionism, as it seeks to mitigate human impact on the ecosystem, and also reduces costs. This approach is applicable regardless of whether the forest is being preserved for conservation or production purposes. Current knowledge of post-fire ecology in coniferous forests supports the necessity to shift from old work routines that often lack a scientific basis to ecologically oriented precision restoration that maximizes the natural potential from the microscale to the macroscale.