Post-fire ecological restoration in Latin American forest ecosystems: Insights and lessons from the last two decades

Post-fire ecological restoration in Latin American forest ecosystems: Insights and lessons from the last two decades

Background

Forests make up a significant portion of the earth’s aboveground biodiversity. Human-caused wildfires are a main driver of forest loss across Latin America and the Caribbean. The authors review literature to understand the causes of fires and strategies of post-fire restoration. They focus their search on more recent literature within the last two decades in order to highlight the most advanced methods. The authors also search for gaps in knowledge or application of fire restoration practices that may be hindering progress.

Conclusions and Takeaways

Overall, land-use changes drive the majority of fires in Latin America and the Caribbean. The authors note that the economic and social drive for land usage is something that will not go away and therefore they encourage practitioners to look at barriers to restoration and methods for restoration. There is much variability in the barriers to recovery including but not limited to soil conditions and lack of financial support. Many of the landscapes in these regions show great potential for post-fire recovery. In order to successfully implement post-fire restoration, the authors recommend each project in each region should be treated uniquely, considering the local culture and political climate.

Reference: 

Souza-Alonso P, Saiz G, García RA, Pauchard A, Ferreira A, Merino A. Post-fire ecological restoration in Latin American forest ecosystems: Insights and lessons from the last two decades. Forest Ecology and Management. 2022;509:120083. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120083.