Fire regime and ecosystem responses: adaptive forest management in a changing world (Part 1)
Daniel Moya A D , Giacomo Certini B and Peter Z. Fulé CA Escuela Técnica Superior Ingenieros Agrónomos y Montes, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario, 02071, Albacete, Spain.
B Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari, Ambientali e Forestali, Università di Firenze, 50144 Firenze, Italy.
C School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, PO Box 15018, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA.
D Corresponding author. Email: Daniel.Moya@uclm.es
International Journal of Wildland Fire 28(5) 327-328 https://doi.org/10.1071/WFv28n5_FO
Published: 23 May 2019
Abstract
Although fire is an intrinsic factor in most terrestrial biomes, it is often perceived as a negative disturbance that must be suppressed. The application of successful fire prevention policies can lead to unsustainable fire events for ecosystems adapted to a specific fire regime. In addition, new climate and land use scenarios are influencing fire parameters and ecosystem services. Consequently, adaptive forest and landscape management must include knowledge on vulnerability, resistance and resilience of terrestrial ecosystems.
To help address this need, we convened a special issue (divided in two separate parts) to synthesise ongoing research focused on obtaining a better understanding of wildfire response decisions and actions, including preventive management and post-fire restoration. We conceived a collection of research studies covering a wide diversity of geographical settings characterised by different climates and forest types, under scenarios of changing climate and land use.
Here, we summarise the key findings from the six papers published in the first section of the special issue. They deal with diverse topics and assessments, such as adaptions to fire regimes, the effects of burn severity on the plant–soil interface, and post-fire management taking advantage of indices obtained from satellite images (dNBR, NDVI), dendrochronology, soil sampling and analysis of biological indicators. We highlight the new knowledge developed to enhance fire management decision making in a time of rapidly changing scenarios around the world.
Additional keywords: burn severity, fire effects on ecosystems, post-fire management, resilience, resistance of ecosystems, soil erosion, vulnerability.
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