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Type: Book Chapter
Author(s): R. Vallejo; J. A. Alloza
Editor(s): J. M. Moreno
Publication Date: 1998

From the text (p.91) ... 'The Region of Valencia is one of the areas most severely affected by wildfires within the Mediterranean Basin, owing to its fire-prone climatic conditions (Millan et al. this volume). According to the precipitation/potential evapotranspiration ratio (P/PET) index (UNESCO, 1979), a subhumid Mediterranean climate predominates (P/PET>0.5), with yearly precipitation between 350 and 600 mm and a drought period of 4 to 8 months for forest soils. Under these conditions, the plant cover is continuous and pine forests and shrublands are widespread. Therefore, enough dry fuel accumulates in summer to propagate fire. These climatic conditions are especially favorable to wildfires (Martin 19982 in Christensen 1993). In the southern quarter of the territory, where semiarid conditions (P/PET<0.5) predominate, wildfires are uncommon because of the lack of fuel of the sparse dwarf shrublands. In the transition zones between these two climatic regions, i.e. in upper semiared areas, wildfires are especially critical because of the difficulties of post-fire plant regeneration under the prevailing dry conditions. Therefore, the risk of desertification is extreme when wildfires occur in these upper semiared areas.'From Future perspectives (p.106) ... 'The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy promotes large afforestation and reforestation plans for the immediate future. In addition, Southern European countries are making great efforts to stop the processes of desertification. All these plans require the development of a range of technologies that prove to be efficient in improving the quality of wildlands. One major challenge lies in increasing the number of plant species and the techniques suitable for seeding and planting degraded lands in the various environments of Southern Europe. These should include native herbaceous species adapted to extremely degraded lands, seeding techniques for herbaceous, shrub and tree seeds, and the improvement of hardwoods nursery culture.'

Citation: Vallejo, R., and J. A. Alloza. 1998. The restoration of burned lands: the case of eastern Spain, in JM Moreno ed., Large forest fires. Leiden, Backhuys Publishers, p. 91-108.

Cataloging Information

Regions:
Keywords:
  • Arbutus unedo
  • artificial regeneration (aerial)
  • cover
  • diameter classes
  • droughts
  • Erica multiflora
  • Europe
  • evapotranspiration
  • fire management
  • fire size
  • forest management
  • hardwoods
  • humidity
  • Juniperus phoenicea
  • Mediterranean habitats
  • national forests
  • pine forests
  • Pinus halepensis
  • Pinus pinaster
  • post fire recovery
  • precipitation
  • Quercus coccifera
  • Quercus ilex
  • reforestation
  • regeneration
  • Rhamnus
  • seeds
  • shrublands
  • soil erosion
  • soils
  • Spain
  • wildfires
Tall Timbers Record Number: 20308Location Status: Not in fileCall Number: Fire FileAbstract Status: Okay, Fair use, Reproduced by permission
Record Last Modified:
Record Maintained By: FRAMES Staff (https://www.frames.gov/contact)
FRAMES Record Number: 44874

This bibliographic record was either created or modified by Tall Timbers and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of Tall Timbers.