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<p>Wildfires are a major ecological disturbance that have long influenced forest structure and biodiversity. However, in recent decades, climate change and anthropogenic pressures have intensified fire regimes, particularly in Mediterranean regions, resulting in more frequent and severe wildfires. This study evaluates post-fire vegetation recovery and species dynamics following two major wildfire events (2000 and 2012) in the Dahra forest of northwestern Algeria, using multi-temporal Landsat imagery (1997–2019), spectral indices (NBR, ΔNBR, NDVI), and topographic data. The 2000 fire affected 5227.13&#xa0;ha of forest, while the 2012 fire burned over 6000&#xa0;ha, with a significant increase in high-severity burns. NDVI time-series analysis revealed a sharp post-fire decline, from 0.33 (1999) to 0.13 (2000), and from 0.44 (2011) to 0.17 (2012), followed by full recovery within 9 years post-2000 and just 2 years post-2012. High-severity zones exhibited slower initial recovery but ultimately surpassed lower severity classes in NDVI gain rates. Homogeneity tests detected significant NDVI shifts in 2005 and 2013, marking ecological thresholds of regeneration. Land cover analysis showed a post-2000 peak of 74.16% bare ground, transitioning to 95.4% vegetative cover by 2011. After 2012, vegetation cover reached 96.9% by 2014. Topographic regression (OLS) indicated that slope, aspect, and elevation explained only 8.5% of NDVI variance but were statistically significant (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001), with northern and northwestern aspects experiencing the most severe burns. Species classification identified six dominant taxa. <i>Pinus halepensis</i> Mill expanded from 35.25% (1997) to 40.72% (2019), increasingly colonizing zones formerly occupied by <i>Quercus suber</i> L. and <i>Pistacia lentiscus</i> L. Post-fire succession revealed a shift in species composition across 60–95% of the burned area after 2000, and 25–53% after 2012, reinforcing the dominance of fire-adapted species. These findings underscore the resilience of Mediterranean forests and demonstrate the value of remote sensing tools in quantifying post-fire recovery, mapping species transitions, and identifying long-term ecological patterns critical for adaptive forest management.</p>

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Monitoring post-fire forest dynamics and regeneration in a in a Southern mediterranean ecosystem using Landsat imagery

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月12日

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  • Arouss M’hamed,
  • Ababou Adda,
  • Senouci Fatima

摘要

Wildfires are a major ecological disturbance that have long influenced forest structure and biodiversity. However, in recent decades, climate change and anthropogenic pressures have intensified fire regimes, particularly in Mediterranean regions, resulting in more frequent and severe wildfires. This study evaluates post-fire vegetation recovery and species dynamics following two major wildfire events (2000 and 2012) in the Dahra forest of northwestern Algeria, using multi-temporal Landsat imagery (1997–2019), spectral indices (NBR, ΔNBR, NDVI), and topographic data. The 2000 fire affected 5227.13 ha of forest, while the 2012 fire burned over 6000 ha, with a significant increase in high-severity burns. NDVI time-series analysis revealed a sharp post-fire decline, from 0.33 (1999) to 0.13 (2000), and from 0.44 (2011) to 0.17 (2012), followed by full recovery within 9 years post-2000 and just 2 years post-2012. High-severity zones exhibited slower initial recovery but ultimately surpassed lower severity classes in NDVI gain rates. Homogeneity tests detected significant NDVI shifts in 2005 and 2013, marking ecological thresholds of regeneration. Land cover analysis showed a post-2000 peak of 74.16% bare ground, transitioning to 95.4% vegetative cover by 2011. After 2012, vegetation cover reached 96.9% by 2014. Topographic regression (OLS) indicated that slope, aspect, and elevation explained only 8.5% of NDVI variance but were statistically significant (p < 0.0001), with northern and northwestern aspects experiencing the most severe burns. Species classification identified six dominant taxa. Pinus halepensis Mill expanded from 35.25% (1997) to 40.72% (2019), increasingly colonizing zones formerly occupied by Quercus suber L. and Pistacia lentiscus L. Post-fire succession revealed a shift in species composition across 60–95% of the burned area after 2000, and 25–53% after 2012, reinforcing the dominance of fire-adapted species. These findings underscore the resilience of Mediterranean forests and demonstrate the value of remote sensing tools in quantifying post-fire recovery, mapping species transitions, and identifying long-term ecological patterns critical for adaptive forest management.