Mediterranean shrublands

GHERMANDI LUCIANA; GONZALEZ SOFÍA

Global Biome Conservation and Global Warming Impacts on Ecology and Biodiversity

Academic Press

Año: 2024;

The main focus of our research has been to understand the post-fire behavior of shrubs in the Northwestern Patagonia steppe. Over more than 20 years, we conducted field observations, monitoring, and experiments to gain insights into the establishment, growth, and senescence of shrubs, with a particular emphasis on the post-fire strategies. We observed that post-fire resprouting is a more effective short-term strategy for shrubs in terms of space occupancy, compared to recolonization from seeds. Despite the resilience to fire, the system does not fully return to its pre-fire state due to irreversible changes, causing productivity loss. The altered fire regime, driven by climate change, is likely to impact species proportions and modify the ecosystem structure. Future land use plans should consider adapting to these changes to align with the socio-economic development of the region.