Post-fire regeneration in the European Alps: patterns and implications on protective forests
Abstract ID: 3.150
| Accepted as Talk
| TBA
| TBA
Marangon, D. (1)
Mantero, G. (2); Anselmetto, N. (2); Berger, F. (3); Kobal, M. (9); Krasovskiy, A. (4); Moos, C. (5); Mueller, M. (6); Michaud, M.-P. (7); Pesenti, T. (7); Teich, M. (8); Vacik, H. (6); Garbarino, M. (2); Marzano, R. (2); and Lingua, E. (1)
(1) University of Padova, Viale delle Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
(2) University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
(3) French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment - INRAE, 2 Rue de la Papeterie, 38402 Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France
(4) International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis - IIASA, Schlossplatz 1 | A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
(5) Bern University of Applied Sciences - BFH, Fachbereich Waldwissenschaften Länggasse 85 3052 Zollikofen
(6) Universität für Bodenkultur - BOKU, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Wien, Austria
(7) Office national des forêts - ONF, 5 Rue des Silos, 05000 Gap, Francia
(8) Bundesforschungszentrum für Wald - BFW, Rennweg 1, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
(9) University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana
(2) University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
(3) French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment - INRAE, 2 Rue de la Papeterie, 38402 Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France
(4) International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis - IIASA, Schlossplatz 1 | A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
(5) Bern University of Applied Sciences - BFH, Fachbereich Waldwissenschaften Länggasse 85 3052 Zollikofen
(6) Universität für Bodenkultur - BOKU, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Wien, Austria
(7) Office national des forêts - ONF, 5 Rue des Silos, 05000 Gap, Francia
(8) Bundesforschungszentrum für Wald - BFW, Rennweg 1, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
(9) University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana
How to cite: Marangon, D.; Mantero, G.; Anselmetto, N.; Berger, F.; Kobal, M.; Krasovskiy, A.; Moos, C.; Mueller, M.; Michaud, M.-P.; Pesenti, T.; Teich, M.; Vacik, H.; Garbarino, M.; Marzano, R.; and Lingua, E.: Post-fire regeneration in the European Alps: patterns and implications on protective forests, #RMC26-3.150
Abstract
Land use and climate change are reshaping natural disturbance regimes globally, with fragile ecosystems, such as the European Alps, being particularly affected. Land abandonment, global warming, and longer dry periods create ideal conditions for larger and more severe wildfires in these areas. These novel disturbance conditions may hinder the protective function of mountain forests for years or decades by removing biomass, changing species composition, and delaying natural regeneration dynamics.
This study investigates ecological drivers and temporal dynamics of post-fire forest regeneration and assesses the potential impact of post-fire recovery dynamics on the protective functions of coniferous and mixed forests across the Alpine region.
We assessed density, species composition, and structure of post-fire forest regeneration, ground cover, and deadwood occurrence across 18 sites across Austria, France, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland that had been affected by wildfires up to 25 years prior to the survey. To evaluate key drivers of forest regeneration, we included time since fire (TSF), fire severity, and topo-climatic predictors from global datasets.
Our results confirmed that time since disturbance, topography and climate are the primary factors driving the post-fire regeneration density. After merely 15 years, late seral species started to establish successfully, while early successional species presence began to decline. In addition, seedling density was negatively correlated with distance from forest edge. Overall, our findings suggest that the interplay between species composition, site-specific conditions, and fire severity actually shapes forest regeneration patterns.
As protection forests may experience altered and/or delayed functionality if regeneration fails or shifts toward less resilient compositions, this study offers new insights for land managers and decision makers, emphasizing the importance of targeted restoration planning to sustain protective forest functions in the face of increasing wildfire risks.
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