Wildfires are a global phenomenon with significant environmental, social, and economic impacts. These impacts are expected to intensify due to climate change, land abandonment, inadequate land management and planning factors that further drive land degradation and reduce the provision of ecosystem services.
This growing threat calls for urgent scientific attention to better understand the effects of wildfires on ecosystems and to develop integrated tools for land management before and after fires. Such efforts are essential for reducing vulnerability to wildfires and mitigating their impacts. However, this challenge extends beyond the scientific community, requiring the active involvement of stakeholders and policy-makers worldwide, as fundamental resources, such as water, soil, raw materials, and habitats, are at risk.
This session invites contributions from researchers studying the effects of wildfires on ecosystems, covering the full spectrum from prevention to post-fire recovery. We welcome laboratory, field, and modelling studies on the following topics:
i. Prescribed and/or experimental fires
ii. Fire severity and burn severity
iii. Fire effects on vegetation, soil, and water
iv. Post-fire hydrological and erosive responses
v. Post-fire management and mitigation
vi. Socio-economic aspects of pre- and post-fire land management
vii. Fire risk assessment and modelling