Forest fires: Restoration

Data on fire effects, post-fire vegetation and fuel dynamics is still incomplete in some European ecosystems. Important questions raise public concern: How to manage burned areas? How to prevent soil erosion and water runoff risks? Low post-fire recovery rate of plant cover exposes the soil to high erosion and runoff risk that can lead to irreversible ecosystem degradation. The projected increase of drought would hinder post-fire vegetation recovery, and heavy precipitation events after fire would increase the risk of soil erosion and flash flooding. The capacity of species to acclimate under changing climate is uncertain.