Speaker
Description
Background and objectives:
Mediterranean shrubland faces increasing pressure from recurrent wildfire, yet its capacity to recover vegetation structure following fire-driven degradation remains poorly understood. This study examines patterns of fire-driven land cover degradation and subsequent recovery across Sicily, Italy.
Methods:
Fire perimeter data from the European Forest Fire Information System (2008 to 2024) were combined with multi-temporal CORINE Land Cover data to track land cover transitions following fire events across two consecutive periods, before and after a period of intense fire activity.
(Preliminary) results:
Analysis reveals a clear degradation and recovery cycle: shrubland to open ground conversion was widespread following the first period, followed by a marked reversal in the second, with degraded areas recovering to shrubland dominance. Tracking individual locations through time confirms that the majority of degraded cells recovered to shrubland dominance, with most recovery occurring through natural secondary succession in the absence of further fire. Land cover composition also shows a consistent association between shrubland prevalence and fire reoccurrence intensity, suggesting a feedback dynamic between vegetation type and fire frequency. These findings demonstrate strong ecosystem resilience in Mediterranean shrubland following fire disturbance.
Keywords: fire reoccurrence, ecosystem resilience, Mediterranean shrubland, land cover recovery, Sicily
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