Fire in Mediterranean Pine Forests, Past, Present and Future
2021
Morales-Molino , César | Arianoutsou , Margarita | Moreno Rodríguez, José Manuel | Torres Galán, Iván
Pines are a major component of forests and other wooded lands in the Mediterranean region. Pine woodlands have increased during recent decades due to abandonment and afforestation. Fires are widespread throughout the region. Understanding the historical (Holocene) interactions between pines and fires is important for anticipating how ongoing climate change will affect future fires. Fire activity has increased during the Holocene alongside human activities, leading to the disappearance of many pinewoods. Fire frequency was low until the mid-twentieth century, when it began to increase, particularly in the southern European Union countries, reaching maximum values towards the late 1980s. Thereafter, the burnt area decreased despite regional warming, probably due to fire suppression policies and increased firefighting capacity. Pine woodlands are the second most burned vegetation after shrublands. Climate change will reduce the suitable habitat of primarily mountain pines. Rising emissions of greenhouse gases will increase the seasonal severity of fire weather, and, likely, the area burned. The extent of increase will depend on whether fires are limited by temperature or water. Extreme weather events are projected to increase in frequency and severity, meaning that despite growing firefighting capacity the potential for very large fires is very likely to continue increasing.
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