A Sustainable Strategy for Reforestation and Restoration of Burnt Natural Areas in Mediterranean Regions: A Case Study from Greece

Iordanis Tzamtzis, Petros Ganatsas (), Ioannis P. Kokkoris, Vasileios Samaritakis, Dimitrios Botsis, Marianthi Tsakaldimi, Ilias Tziritis, Natalia Kalevra and Nicholas M. Georgiadis
Additional contact information
Iordanis Tzamtzis: ACCEL—I. TZAMTZIS & Co G.P., Chrisostomou Smirnis 27, 17237 Imittos, Greece
Petros Ganatsas: Laboratory of Forestry, Faculty of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Ioannis P. Kokkoris: Laboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Rio, Greece
Vasileios Samaritakis: Forester—Environmental Consultant, 71305 Heraklion, Greece
Dimitrios Botsis: Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, Serres Campus, International Hellenic University, Terma Magnesia, 62124 Serres, Greece
Marianthi Tsakaldimi: Laboratory of Forestry, Faculty of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Ilias Tziritis: Land Programme, WWF Greece, 11473 Athens, Greece
Natalia Kalevra: Land Programme, WWF Greece, 11473 Athens, Greece
Nicholas M. Georgiadis: Land Programme, WWF Greece, 11473 Athens, Greece

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 22, 1-17

Abstract: Greece, along with most of the countries in the Mediterranean basin, is historically linked with forest fires. Wildfires have always occurred, are happening, and will continue to occur, causing serious problems regarding the sustainability of natural resources. Their frequency, however, has shown a noticeable increase during the last decades; according to the most recent projections, the broader Mediterranean region will face significant challenges in the future within the context of climate change. Despite the historical experience of forest fires in Greece, a standardized and up-to-date system for identifying and prioritizing burnt areas, in relation to their restoration needs, has not yet been developed and adopted. In this paper, a systematic methodological approach for decision-making regarding the identification and prioritization of active restoration/reforestation of burnt areas is proposed. This approach is based on critical parameters, such as the regeneration potential of the affected forest species, the “fire history”, and the slope of the affected areas. The proposed methodological approach can be applied in all burnt natural areas in the country in the future, as well as in other areas of the Mediterranean region. The fire impact on Natura 2000 sites is also assessed to highlight the importance of restoration and conservation needs in protected areas. The results from case studies are presented, and future steps and policy recommendations for the post-fire management of natural ecosystems are discussed to enable the sustainable management of forest resources in the burnt areas.

Keywords: reforestation; ecosystem restoration; forest fires; decision making model; sustainable management; Natura 2000; EU nature restoration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:22:p:15986-:d:1281017

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