REFRESCOME

Response to Recurring Fires in the Soils of Mediterranean eCOsystems
2019-2020

SUMMARY

REFRESCOME benefits from a 30+ year-old experiment manipulating fire recurrence (0-4 fires in the last 40 years) and in three different study areas (more coming soon!). Vegetation responses to recurrent fires are starting to be well-known, similarly to that of some nutrient stocks. However, more comprehensive studies addressing the most important ecosystem functions and services, their interrelationships and their ability to withstand further stress levels caused by increasing aridity are not understood. In REFRESCOME we are measuring the effect of recurrent fires on life and dead biomass, early plant establishment, habitat supply for insects and vertebrates, resistance to erosion, infiltration, nutrient content and cycling rates, and nectar and forage supply. This is a representative set of ecosystem functions and services that will provide a first measure of ecosystem service bundles and trade-offs in the different vegetation types generated through recurrent fires.In dryland ecosystems, soil microorganisms play a fundamental role as drivers of their resilience to further disturbances and of ecosystem functioning. Therefore, REFRESCOME place a special interest in these organisms, how are they affected by recurrent fires and which is their effect on ecosystem functioning and resilience to drought.

OBJECTIVES

The two main objectives of this project are:1) To quantify changes in the functioning of Mediterranean ecosystems in response to increasing recurrence in wildfires2) To evaluate the role of soil microorganisms in the functioning of these ecosystems and their resilience to the forecasted increase in aridity.

FUNDING

Sponsor: AEET (Spain). 3.000 €.

OUTPUTS

SCI papers:

Moghli A, Santana VM, Soliveres S, Baeza MJ. Thinning and plantation of resprouting species redirect overstocked pine stands towards more functional communities in the Mediterranean basin. Science of The Total Environment (806): 150715
Moghli A, Santana VM, Baeza MJ, Pastor E, Soliveres S. Fire Recurrence and Time Since Last Fire Interact to Determine the Supply of Multiple Ecosystem Services by Mediterranean Forests. Ecosystems. In press

Conferences:

1. Moghli A, Santana VM, Baeza MJ, Deltell L, Pastor E, Soliveres S. Fire recurrence and post-fire recovery time interact to determine the functioning of Mediterranean ecosystems. XV Congreso Nacional de la AEET, Plasencia, Spain. 18-21/10/2021. Talk

2. Moghli A, Santana VM, Baeza MJ, Pastor E, Soliveres S. The functioning of Mediterranean forests under fire recurrence and recovery time interaction. 1st International Conference on Mediterranean Forests: State of play and Prospects. Khenchela, Algeria. 15-16/03/2022. Talk