Pine plantations and fire severity
We recently analyzed fire severity, vegetation type, and post-fire recovery in three large wildfires in Spain using remote sensing data (Sentinel-2 imagery) [1]. The studied fires were: Sierra Bermeja (9,670 ha; Málaga, 2021), the merged Sierra de la Culebra and Losacio fires (58,700 ha; Zamora, 2022), and Sierra de las Hurdes (10,863 ha; Cáceres, 2023).
Our results demonstrated that pine plantations (mostly Pinus pinaster) exhibited significantly higher fire severity and lower post-fire recovery compared to other vegetation types, including pine woodlands with no obvious evidence of having been planted (Fig. 1). This result is observed either using the Spanish forest map information (MFE) or the Spanish forest inventory (IFN; Fig. 1). Furthermore, proximity to pine plantations increased fire severity in adjacent vegetation, while management practices that reduced tree density effectively mitigated severity within the plantations.
These findings underscore that strategic spatial planning and adaptive management of tree plantations are crucial for fostering more resilient and sustainable fire regimes in Mediterranean ecosystems.
References
[1] Repeto-Deudero I, Ojeda F, Gómez-González S, Miranda A, Cruz-Alonso V, Pausas JG. 2025. The legacy of pine plantations on fire severity. J. Appl. Ecol. [doi | pdf]
More on afforestations and fire, see here