Effects of Fires and Possible Restoration Interventions in Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems
A special issue of Fire (ISSN 2571-6255). This special issue belongs to the section "Fire Research at the Science–Policy–Practitioner Interface".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 2515
Special Issue Editor
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, the loss of diversity, and soil degradation, especially in areas with a Mediterranean climate, could be monitored, and their impacts reduced, through the application of different forest management strategies. Fire and fire ecology are among the best-studied topics in contemporary ecosystem ecology. Understanding the effects of fire and its underlying principles is critical for reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires and for the proper use of fire as an effective management tool in achieving restoration goals. In this context, a Special Issue is suggested that will consider the assessment of natural regeneration and fire effects after fires, the short/medium-term monitoring of natural regeneration, and soil and vegetation treatment techniques. It will also explore the reproductive capacity of natural regeneration post fire, focusing on resilient species and the role of forests as a key part of the carbon cycle. This includes different post-fire responses to varying severities of fire, the theoretical and practical concept of forests’ vulnerability to fire, and the consideration of post-fire forest management as a useful tool for restoration. The latter can modify stand structure while optimizing economic return, biodiversity, recreational value, and microenvironmental health. Clearly, fire can shape an ecosystem’s composition, structure, and functions by selecting fire-adapted species and removing other susceptible species. It releases nutrients from biomass and improves nutrient cycling, affects soil properties through changes in soil microbial activity and soil–water interactions, and creates heterogeneous mosaics that can further influence fire’s behavior and ecological processes. Fire, as a destructive force, can rapidly consume large amounts of biomass and cause negative impacts such as post-fire soil erosion, 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 in the assessment. More ecosystem-specific studies are needed, especially those focusing on the temporal and spatial variations of fire’s effects through long-term experimental monitoring and modeling. The integration of restoration practices into these studies will be essential for enhancing ecosystem resilience.
This Special Issue aims to collect the most interesting scientific contributions within the context of this broad and fundamental research topic to create a foundation for the application of post-fire restoration and recovery techniques in areas heavily damaged by fire.
Dr. Raffaella Lovreglio
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- fire ecology
- forestry
- hydraulic forestry management
- effects of fire
- post-fire impacts
- fire damage to vegetation and soil
- recovery and post-fire restoration
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