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Evaluating the effectiveness of postfire restoration in Portugal with a focus on deciduous oak forests
Publication . Lopes, Luís Filipe Azevedo Curto Sousa; Acácio, Vanda Cristina de Carvalho; Fernandes, Paulo Alexandre Martins
Fire has long been a natural element of forest dynamics. However, changes in fire regimes in recent decades in Europe (e.g., more frequent and severe fires) have led to negative ecological, social, and economic impacts. Portugal, situated in Mediterranean Europe, exemplifies this scenario as a region highly susceptible to wildfires and presently undergoing shifts in fire regimes. Here, deciduous oak forest ecosystems, which have an important role in biodiversity conservation, soil and water provision, and climate regulation, are today reduced to small, fragmented areas and present a high fire incidence. Following fire events, postfire management strategies can be employed to reduce the negative fire effects, although such actions may also have consequences on the recovery of soil and vegetation. As such, the objective of this thesis was to examine the effectiveness of various public environmental measures employed in postfire restoration in Portugal over recent decades, with a focus on deciduous oak forests.
In this thesis, I identified three main factors within the public funding process that have been limiting the efficacy of postfire emergency stabilization in Portugal: the financing model, an oversimplified approach to eligible interventions, and slow decision-making and execution. I also observed a small positive impact of postfire interventions on the recovery of deciduous oak forests. Conversely, I found a negative impact of postfire drought events and frequent fires on this recovery. Finally, the quantification of multiple ecosystem services highlighted the existence of trade-offs due to management choices, indicating the necessity to outline long-term objectives for the burned area, since different postfire management approaches may favour distinct ecosystem services. Further studies are required to enhance the effectiveness (and consequently the efficacy) of the multiple stages of postfire restoration in Portugal.
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Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
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OE
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PD/BD/142963/2018