Lwith dead wood trees in a forest It is a shelter for life, a hiding place, and food for fungi, insects and other important animals. So much so that the new EU Nature Restoration Law wants to increase the amount of this material found in forests to monitor and restore lost biodiversity. On the other hand, other groups point out that dead wood poses a danger to fires that must be removed from the forest as soon as possible. What are we going to do with dead wood from the forest that could be produced by increased drought, pests or wind?
New European project BioAgoraIn this regard, the Center for Ecological Studies and Forestry Practices (CREAF), of which it is one of the main partners, has activated the new Biodiversity Scientific Service. This is a service for the scientific community to quickly compile available information on the subject and advise on European decision-making.
The result was the synthesis report “Deadwood and Fire Risk in Europe” (“Deadwood and Fire Risk in Europe”), which they concluded. Large dead wood in European forests is an insignificant factor in fire risk, but it is very valuable for the continuation of biodiversity.
“It is a low combustible wood that does not necessarily increase the risk of wildfire”
The study suggests that dead wood may form some of the fuel that can be burned during a wildfire. It is a low combustible tree that does not necessarily increase the risk of wildfire.. Regarding Mediterranean ecosystems, the report warns that our forests have very little dead wood of relevant sizes, so this is not a significant fire risk factor and instead needs to be increased to improve biodiversity and have healthier forests. more resilient forests.
In fact, according to the report, Thicker logs can even increase soil moisture and make it harder for surface fires to spread..
Remove the small wood and keep the big one
“In our region, during certain moments of drought or plague that increase dead wood in the forest, the possibility of removing wood that acts as fine fuel and is more flammable, but also of small size, will need to be evaluated. keep some of the largest pieces of biodiversity most valuable and the least problematic because of the fire risk,” explains Josep Maria Espelta, a report participant and a CREAF researcher.
Joined by CREAF and in collaboration with the Catalonia Forest Science and Technology Center (CTFC), the report distinguishes thick, low-combustible and slow-burning dead woods that are key to having healthy forests. HE dead wood, twigs and twigs that have little to do with biodiversity and may play a more important role in the ignition and spread of fires.
Recover natural processes such as fire
The report makes a number of recommendations adapted to different scenarios. For example, in areas with high fire risk, it recommends conducting specialized forest management to prevent the spread of wildfires or to improve natural processes such as low-intensity fires moving in the same direction.
Small controlled fires will be an effective tool to reduce the risk of serious fires., but also biodiversity is preferred. With these burnings, it is possible to reduce the fuel load, especially fine woody residues, and to create lines that disrupt forest continuity.
“It may seem like a contradiction that fire helps life, however, when done in moderate air, soil moisture, and fuel conditions, the thicker dead wood comes out unharmed and even the burnt portion is positive, because many organisms depend on this burnt dead woodAdds Lluís Brotons, a CSIC researcher at CREAF and also author of the report. Fire has the effect of providing good diversity in key habitats over relatively long periods of time and acts as a vaccine for large wildfires.
Another scenario occurs when there are large areas of forest affected by disturbances (wind storms, epidemics, or wet snowfall) in an extraordinary way and for health reasons, for which public use or response is necessary to reduce the risk of fire. Dead in the woods, concludes Eduard Plana, a CTFC researcher and critic of the report.
protector of the mediterranean forest
The forest systems of the Mediterranean basin are nutrient poor and suffer from frequent droughts. Within this framework, there is a broad scientific and technical consensus supporting it. keeping some of the dead wood in the forest to keep the forests healthy and make them more resilient to climate change. On the one hand, because Dead wood is the habitat of many species and, on the other hand, because it provides moisture to the soil.it allows many life forms to thrive and not too much water evaporates.
“Dead wood is the habitat of many species and provides moisture to the soil”
The Mediterranean forest is one of the most prone to fire risk. Additionally, it has a long history of dense forest management, which means there is very little large dead wood today. The report mentions The greatest fire risk in Mediterranean forests arises from the increase in the horizontal and vertical continuity of our forest mass. It is due to the decrease in forest management and silvo-pasture for many years.
“This current state of Mediterranean forest masses may be altered by increased pest, drought or storm events. Events that can increase the presence of dead wood in the forest from time to time. In these cases, it is necessary to consider taking measures to remove dead wood, especially the thinnest ones”, emphasizes Josep Maria Espelta.
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