Exploring Forest Fire

With climate change, the frequency and intensity of forest fires are rising globally, affecting even the high-altitude forests of mountain regions like the Alps. These fires not only threaten the stability of these forests but also diminish their protective functions. The immediate effects of fire include severe heat damage to plant tissues, while nonlethal heat injuries often trigger longer-term consequences, such as limitations in carbon assimilation and disruptions in water relations. Fires also increase the vulnerability of trees to insects and pathogens, impacting the forest floor by affecting roots, seeds, seedlings, soil health, and mycorrhizal networks. However, fire can also act as an ecological driver of change, promoting the evolution and establishment of light-demanding, shade-intolerant species. In many cases, fire plays a complex role in altering forest composition, leading to shifts in species dynamics that can influence the recovery processes and long-term resilience of these forest ecosystems as they adapt to changing environmental conditions.