Fire regime and ecosystem responses: adaptive forest management in a changing world (Part 2)

Abstract

Fire is an ecological factor in ecosystems around the world, made increasingly more critical by unprecedented shifts in climate and human population pressure. The knowledge gradually acquired on the subject is needed to improve fire behaviour understanding and to enhance fire management decision-making. This issue (Volume 28, issue 7, International Journal of Wildland Fire) is Part 2 of a special issue aimed at synthesising ongoing research on preventive management and post-fire restoration, including characterisation of the wildland–urban interface (WUI) and assessing the post-fire restoration of wilderness and WUI areas. Landscape management was also investigated using remote sensing techniques and simulation modelling to improve ecosystem resilience. As in Part 1 (Volume 28, issue 5, International Journal of Wildland Fire), the current issue covers diverse forest settings under scenarios of changing climate and land use. The broad geographical range of these studies highlights key similarities of wildfire issues around the world, but detailed data show unique local circumstances that must be considered. The new information from these six papers helps advance fire ecology and management during a period of rapid change.

Empirical Research on Climate Warming Risks for Forest Fires: A Case Study of Grade I Forest Fire Danger Zone, Sichuan Province, China

“…There were many climatic factors that impacted forest fires; thus, it was necessary to consider the influence of many factors comprehensively. However, at the background of global warming, the research community together with the fire service (in particular, in counties heavily affected by wildfires) has begun to realize that landscape management may be the only viable tactic toward fire safety [49,50]. Although the simulation results of the model were good, the importance of interactions among other factors (such as topography, vegetation, type and continuity of fuel and population) remains unknown [4,6,51].…”

Burn Severity and Postfire Salvage Logging Effects on Vegetation and Soil System in a Short-Term Period in Mediterranean Pine Forests

“…According to earlier research conducted by and Jiménez-Morillo et al (2020) [45,46], three soil samples were gathered from each plot in June 2019. Each sample was composed of six subsamples randomly collected from different locations in the plot.…”

Fire Vulnerability, Resilience, and Recovery Rates of Mediterranean Pine Forests Using a 33-Year Time Series of Satellite Imagery

“…As previously mentioned, establishing indicators or indices [42,43] that allow us to assess which areas are more vulnerable and which are more resilient to such disturbances is a priority to act accordingly by prioritizing actions in the most sensitive areas to minimize both risks and effects by forest management [44][45][46][47]. For this purpose, environmental characteristics and vegetation are critical factors for estimating ecological vulnerability to fire [34].…”