Bir Kızılçam Ormanında Yangın Sonrası Restorasyon Uygulamalarının Odunsu Bitki Komünitesi Üzerine Etkileri

Abstract

Certain post-fire forestry practices, such as terracing applications used for soil stabilization and re-establishing plant communities and seedling planting, can adversely affect the diversity and structure of plant communities. This study examined the effect of terracing on the regeneration of plant communities after a fire in a Turkish red pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) forest in western Türkiye. The study compares diversity patterns, community species composition, vegetation structure, and functional traits of communities between areas left to natural regeneration and areas subjected to low-density terracing within the burned area. The field studies were conducted in a burned area of 6800 hectares of red pine forest in the Karabağlar district of İzmir, which was affected by a fire in 2019. Over four years, part of the burned area was terraced, while other parts were left to natural restoration. A total of sixteen 1-hectare sampling plots were selected, with eight terraced and eight left to regenerate naturally. These plots were further divided into north and south aspects, with four plots for each aspect. In each sampling plot, four randomly placed 5×5 m quadrats were used for vegetation sampling. Stem and leaf samples of dominant plants in the sampling area were collected, and measurements were made on these plants. The functional traits data collected in this study included stem specific density, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, live fuel moisture content, plant height, leaf curliness, and branch architecture. These measurements provide crucial information for understanding the effects of fire on plant physiology and the mechanisms of plant community adaptation to fire. The results indicated that terracing had a limited impact on the post-fire plant community structure in north-facing areas. However, terracing increased species richness and diversity and significantly altered species composition and vegetation structure in south-facing areas. Thus, terracing reduced the differences in plant communities between north and south-facing areas, leading to a more homogeneous plant community structure. Although terracing had a generally limited impact on plant communities, it was concluded that it reduced post-fire landscape heterogeneity by bringing plant communities in different directions closer together. The findings have significant implications for the post-fire management of Turkish pine forests and suggest that terracing practices should be carefully considered in ecosystem restoration processes.