Effects of Changing Fire Regimes and Post-Fire Salvage Logging on Forest Ecosystems

This chapter explores the changing fire regime with reasons and consequences for forest ecosystems as well as the wildfire effects on forest soils. Furthermore, the usage and effects of post-fire salvage logging have been analyzed. The three main reasons for fire regime changes with their effects are: (1) climate change, which reduces moisture in fuels and increases the chance of wildfire ignition; (2) rural depopulation and agricultural abandonment, which lead to fuel accumulation; and (3) current policies of wildfire management focusing on fire suppression rather than on its prevention. Due to the changing fire regime, wildfires are expected to further increase in size, severity, and frequency in the future. An adequate knowledge on wildfire prevention measures (e.g., prescribed fire, salvage logging, and afforestation with less flammable species) may help land managers to identify the most effective actions for specific forest ecosystems against the prevention of irreversible land degradation.