Topographic conditions dominate tree species recovery over 15 years post-fire in a temperate Pinus sylvestris forest
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00027073%3A_____%2F25%3AN0000025" target="_blank" >RIV/00027073:_____/25:N0000025 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s42408-025-00374-3.pdf?utm_source=clarivate&getft_integrator=clarivate" target="_blank" >https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s42408-025-00374-3.pdf?utm_source=clarivate&getft_integrator=clarivate</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s42408-025-00374-3" target="_blank" >10.1186/s42408-025-00374-3</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Topographic conditions dominate tree species recovery over 15 years post-fire in a temperate Pinus sylvestris forest
Original language description
BackgroundIntensifying fire regimes and changing climatic conditions raise concerns about the capacity of forests to naturally recover after fire. Linking long-term observations of post-fire natural tree regeneration with the environmental and spatiotemporal context is thus becoming increasingly important to guide restoration efforts worldwide. Especially where fires have been rare, snapshot and short-term monitoring efforts prevail, thereby failing to recognize the post-fire species dynamics and wider community trends. Using multivariate Bayesian and spatial point process modeling, we evaluated the main environmental drivers of post-fire tree species recovery, its compositional and structural components, and species' spatiotemporal co-occurrence patterns over 15 years post-fire in a Central European Pinus sylvestris forest.ResultsTopography-related conditions and ground cover were the prevalent drivers of tree species responses. In addition to diverse species-specific and size-dependent responses, higher site moisture and moss cover were beneficial for most species, while steep and warm habitats with exposed mineral soil and lack of litter mostly represented harsh conditions. We demonstrate the transition of the Pinus sylvestris forest to early successional broadleaves. Betula pendula seedlings and saplings began to dominate 10 and 5 years after the fire, respectively. Pinus sylvestris seedlings showed a similar abundance to Betula pendula and Populus tremula 5 years after the fire but declined sharply thereafter. We identified synchronized but species-specific patterns of seedling decline and sapling basal area build-up in early successional broadleaves. Fagus sylvatica, Picea abies, and Pinus sylvestris saplings showed synchronized recovery 15 years post-fire.ConclusionsWe highlight the need for a detailed recognition of species-environment relationships, particularly where species with diverse levels of natural recovery are challenged along wide topographic gradients. Our findings also demonstrate that the compositional and structural components of post-fire recovery were shaped by species and wider community dynamics depending on time since fire. Exploring these species' unique and synchronized trajectories through spatiotemporal co-occurrence patterns is essential for setting realistic expectations of future forest recovery and can also help guide active restoration efforts in various post-disturbance contexts.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
40102 - Forestry
Result continuities
Project
<a href="/en/project/SS02030018" target="_blank" >SS02030018: Center for Landscape and Biodiversity</a><br>
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
FIRE ECOLOGY
ISSN
1933-9747
e-ISSN
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Volume of the periodical
21
Issue of the periodical within the volume
1
Country of publishing house
US - UNITED STATES
Number of pages
17
Pages from-to
29
UT code for WoS article
001488646300002
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-105004675227