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Fire
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Effects of Fires on Forest Ecosystems
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Effects of Fires on Forest Ecosystems

A special issue of Fire (ISSN 2571-6255).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 5187

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Raffaella Lovreglio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Nuoro Forestry School, Department of Agriculture, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Interests: fire; ecology; forest conservation; silviculture; fire ecology; vegetation; forest ecology; ecological restoration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The growing risk of megafires and the loss of diversity and soil degradation, especially in areas with a Mediterranean climate, could be monitored and impacts limited through the application of different forest management strategies. Fire and fire ecology are among the best-studied topics in contemporary ecosystem ecology. Understanding fire effects and underlying principles is critical to reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires and for the proper use of fire as an effective management tool toward management goals. In this context, a Special Issue is suggested which will consider the assessment of post-fire natural regeneration and fire effects, the short/medium-term monitoring of natural regeneration and soil and vegetation treatment techniques, the reproductive capacity of natural regeneration post-fire regeneration in resilient species and the role of forests as a key part of the carbon cycle. This includes different post-fire responses to fires with different degrees of severity, the theoretical and practical concept of forest vulnerability to fire and the consideration of post-fire forest management as a useful tool for the modification of stand structure as well as the optimization of economic return, biodiversity, recreational value and the microenvironment. Clearly, fire can shape ecosystem composition, structure and functions by selecting fire-adapted species and removing other susceptible species, releasing nutrients from the biomass and improving nutrient cycling, affecting soil properties through changing soil microbial activities and water relations, and creating heterogeneous mosaics, which in turn, can further influence fire behavior and ecological processes. Fire as a destructive force can rapidly consume a large amount of biomass and cause negative impacts such as post-fire soil erosion and water runoff, and air pollution; however, as a constructive force, fire is also responsible for maintaining the health and perpetuity of certain fire-dependent ecosystems. The effects of fire on an ecosystem depend on the fire regime, vegetation type, climate, physical environments and the scale of time and space of assessment. More ecosystem-specific studies are needed in the future, especially those focusing on temporal and spatial variations of fire effects through long-term experimental monitoring and modeling.

This Special Issue aims to collect the most interesting scientific contributions in the context of a broad and fundamental research topic to apply post-fire restoration and recovery techniques in areas heavily damaged by fire.  Original research articles and reviews are welcome in this Special Issue. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Ecology;
  • Fire ecology;
  • Forestry, Hydraulic forestry management;
  • Restoration and recovery of the post-fire vegetation-soil system.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Raffaella Lovreglio
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fire is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fire
  • effects of fire
  • post fire impacts
  • fire damage on vegetation and soil
  • recovery and post fire restoration

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 3982 KiB  
Article
Short-Interval, High-Severity Wildfire Depletes Diversity of Both Extant Vegetation and Soil Seed Banks in Fire-Tolerant Eucalypt Forests
by Sabine Kasel, Thomas A. Fairman and Craig R. Nitschke
Fire 2024, 7(4), 148; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire7040148 - 19 Apr 2024
Viewed by 491
Abstract
Many plant species are well-adapted to historical fire regimes. An increase in the severity, frequency, and extent of wildfires could compromise the regenerative capacity of species, resulting in permanent shifts in plant diversity. We surveyed extant vegetation and soil seed banks across two [...] Read more.
Many plant species are well-adapted to historical fire regimes. An increase in the severity, frequency, and extent of wildfires could compromise the regenerative capacity of species, resulting in permanent shifts in plant diversity. We surveyed extant vegetation and soil seed banks across two forest types with contrasting historical fire regimes—Shrubby Dry Forest (fire return interval: 10–20 years) and Sub-Alpine Woodland (50–100 years). Over the past 20 years, both forests have been subject to repeated, high-severity wildfires at intervals significantly shorter than their historical return intervals. We examined the soil seed bank response to fire-cued germination, and whether the plant diversity in soil seed banks and extant vegetation demonstrated similar responses to short-interval, high-severity wildfires. The soil seed bank demonstrated a positive response to heat in combination with smoke, and for the Sub-Alpine Woodland, this was limited to sites more frequently burnt by fire. With an increase in fire frequency, there was a decline in species richness and Shannon’s Diversity and a shift in species composition in both extant vegetation and the soil seed bank. The fire frequency effects on the relative richness of trait associations were restricted to the Shrubby Dry Forest, and included an increase in short-lived obligate seeders, wind-dispersed species, and ant-dispersed shrubs in burnt relative to long unburnt sites in both extant vegetation and the soil seed bank. Graminoids were the most abundant component of the soil seed banks of Sub-Alpine Woodlands, and this increased with more frequent fire, with a similar trend (p = 0.06) in extant vegetation. Clear shifts in plant diversity in both soil seed banks and extant vegetation in forest types with contrasting historical fire regimes suggest that emerging fire regimes are pushing ecosystems beyond their historical range of variability, including potentially more flammable states and a decline in the buffering capacity of soil seed banks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Fires on Forest Ecosystems)
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17 pages, 9940 KiB  
Article
The House Is Burning: Assessment of Habitat Loss Due to Wildfires in Central Mexico
by Carlos Alberto Mastachi-Loza, Jorge Paredes-Tavares, Rocio Becerril-Piña, María de Lourdes Ruiz-Gómez, Carlos Alejandro Rangel Patiño and Carlos Diaz-Delgado
Fire 2024, 7(4), 134; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire7040134 - 12 Apr 2024
Viewed by 603
Abstract
Fire suppression and climate change have increased the frequency and severity of wildfires, but the responses of many organisms to wildfire are still largely unknown. In this study, we assessed the risk of habitat loss for amphibians, mammals, and reptiles caused by wildfires [...] Read more.
Fire suppression and climate change have increased the frequency and severity of wildfires, but the responses of many organisms to wildfire are still largely unknown. In this study, we assessed the risk of habitat loss for amphibians, mammals, and reptiles caused by wildfires in central Mexico. We accomplished this by: (1) determining the likelihood of wildfire occurrence over a 12-year period using historical records and the Poisson probability mass function to pinpoint the most susceptible areas to wildfire; (2) evaluating species exposure by identifying natural land use that aligns with the potential distribution areas of biodiversity; (3) assessing species vulnerability based on the classifications established by the IUCN and CONABIO. Our findings have unveiled three regions exhibiting a concentration of high-risk values. Among these, two are positioned near major urban centers, while the third lies in the southeastern sector of the Nevado de Toluca protection area. Amphibians emerged as the taxonomic group most severely impacted, with a substantial number of species falling within the Critically Endangered and Endangered categories, closely followed by mammals and reptiles. Furthermore, we have identified a correlation between the location of risk zones and agricultural areas. This study revealed hotspots that can offer valuable guidance for strategic initiatives in fire-prone regions associated to the potential distribution of amphibians, mammals, and reptiles. Moreover, future studies should contemplate integrating field data to enhance our comprehension of the actual effects of wildfires on the spatial distribution of these animal groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Fires on Forest Ecosystems)
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15 pages, 2334 KiB  
Article
Exploring Tree Density Increases after Fire Exclusion in the Northern Front Range and Great Plains, Colorado, USA
by Brice B. Hanberry, Jacob M. Seidel and Phillip DeLeon
Fire 2024, 7(4), 103; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire7040103 - 22 Mar 2024
Viewed by 780
Abstract
Since Euro-American settlement and associated fire exclusion, grasslands and open forests have converted to forests throughout the United States. Contributing to the weight of evidence, we determined if forestation also occurred in forests and grasslands of Colorado. Our study extent encompassed landscapes of [...] Read more.
Since Euro-American settlement and associated fire exclusion, grasslands and open forests have converted to forests throughout the United States. Contributing to the weight of evidence, we determined if forestation also occurred in forests and grasslands of Colorado. Our study extent encompassed landscapes of the 0.5 million ha Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in the northern Front Range (eastern side) of the southern Rocky Mountains and the 1 million ha Weld County, which contains Pawnee National Grassland, in the Great Plains grasslands. We quantified tree composition, cover, and densities from historical (years 1863 to 1886) tree surveys, current surveys (2002 to 2011), and land cover (2016) to identify departures. In the Arapaho and Roosevelt, historical lack of tree presence and overall low tree densities suggested an open landscape, due to about 70% of 7134 survey points without two trees within 60 m. The treed landscape, which was not continuously forested, had density estimates of about 153 trees/ha. In contrast, the current landscape was 68% forested with high tree densities; fire-dependent pines decreased relative to subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) increases. In Weld County, seven trees were surveyed historically, whereas currently, woody cover totaled 2555 ha. Uniquely applying historical surveys at landscape scales, we documented an open landscape in the northern Front Range, unlike previous research, and rare tree presence in the relatively understudied grasslands of Colorado. Forestation corresponded with changes in U.S. grasslands and forests following Euro-American settlement and associated fire exclusion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Fires on Forest Ecosystems)
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14 pages, 1178 KiB  
Article
The Interacting Influence of Fire and Tree Characteristics on Douglas-Fir Beetle Host-Tree Selection Five Years Post-Fire
by Matt Young, Michael Remke and Julie Korb
Fire 2024, 7(3), 64; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire7030064 - 23 Feb 2024
Viewed by 995
Abstract
Fire injury stresses Douglas-fir trees (Pseudotsuga menziesii) that survive a wildfire event, allowing subsequent Douglas-fir beetle (Dendroctonus pseudotsugae) infection to kill trees that may have otherwise survived. This study aimed to determine how fire injury, stand, and tree characteristics drive [...] Read more.
Fire injury stresses Douglas-fir trees (Pseudotsuga menziesii) that survive a wildfire event, allowing subsequent Douglas-fir beetle (Dendroctonus pseudotsugae) infection to kill trees that may have otherwise survived. This study aimed to determine how fire injury, stand, and tree characteristics drive Douglas-fir beetle host tree selection five years post-fire. We paired 28 adjacent beetle-infected and uninfected stands (infected N = 14) and 140 Douglas-fir trees (infected N = 70) within the 416 Fire burn area in Southwest Colorado. We found no statistically significant differences between infected and uninfected stand characteristics. Individual tree height, DBH, and bark char severity index were significantly higher in infected versus uninfected trees. We created a regression decision tree model to determine the influence of fire injury and tree characteristics on the probability of infection. Trees with a height ≥ 27 m, bark char height < 2.3 m, and DBH < 80 cm had the greatest probability of attack (100%). Trees with a height < 27 m, bark char severity index < 5.5, and DBH < 49 cm had the lowest probability of attack (3.7%). Understanding the influence of fire on Douglas-fir beetle host selection allows land managers to model potential epidemic outbreaks and guide proactive management actions that may reduce beetle outbreak severity or preserve high-value trees not killed by fire. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Fires on Forest Ecosystems)
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25 pages, 3989 KiB  
Article
Birds of the Burn: Avian Community and Functional Guild Variation Five Years Post-Fire in Warm–Dry Mixed Conifer, Southwest Colorado
by Luke A. Scott and Julie E. Korb
Fire 2024, 7(3), 62; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire7030062 - 21 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1579
Abstract
Birds contribute to the trophic interactions within mixed conifer ecosystems and provide a suite of services, such as nutrient transport, seed dispersal, habitat creation, and insect regulation. Avian communities vary in response to the structure and composition of their habitat, which may be [...] Read more.
Birds contribute to the trophic interactions within mixed conifer ecosystems and provide a suite of services, such as nutrient transport, seed dispersal, habitat creation, and insect regulation. Avian communities vary in response to the structure and composition of their habitat, which may be drastically altered by fire, the predominant disturbance of western mixed conifer forests. We conducted avian point count surveys during the peak breeding season, five years post-fire, across four burn severities (unburned, low, moderate, and high) within the 416 Fire perimeter, a 55,000-acre mixed-severity fire that burned near Durango, Colorado in 2018. Avian communities in each burn severity were evaluated for richness, diversity, differentiation, indicator species, and functional guild composition. Species assemblages were significantly different across all burn severities, excluding the low to moderate areas comparison, with differentiation driven by live tree and snag density. Avian species’ richness and diversity were not significantly different across burn severities, highlighting the importance of utilizing multivariate community analysis. Unburned and high-burn areas had significant variation in functional guilds and numerous indicator species. This study provides evidence of avian community differentiation by burn severity, suggesting that management practices promoting heterogenous stand structure in warm–dry mixed conifer will positively influence avian biodiversity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Fires on Forest Ecosystems)
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