Restoration of burned forest areas in Galicia (NW Spain)

Climate change has a wide-ranging impact on ecosystems, economy, human health and well-being. Therefore, the adaptation to climate change of both forest and agricultural sectors providing solutions to accelerate forest regrowth after extreme events, such as forest fires, by creating a more stable and resilient forest structure is needed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the establishment of different perennial (Taxus baccata, Quercus ilex, Quercus suber, Pinus pinaster) and not perennial (Castanea sativa, Quercus robur, Sorbus aria, Betula alba, Quercus pyrenaica, Acer pseudoplatanus, Prunus avium) forest trees and medicinal/aromatic plants (Rosmarinus, Lavandula sp, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare, Thymus vulgaris, Salvia officinalis, Sambucus nigra, Ruta graveolens, Vaccinium myrtillus) in a forest area located in Galicia (NW Spain) which was destroyed by a forest fire in August 2021. Results showed that one year after the establishment of the forest trees and the medicinal/aromatic plants, tree growth was higher compared to the growth of medicinal/aromatic plants. However, medicinal/aromatic plants had a higher survival rate than trees. Therefore, under edaphoclimatic conditions similar to those of this study, it is recommended to use small shrubs to carry out the initial restoration of degraded areas. In any case, successive monitoring is necessary to evaluate the evolution of the vegetation in the area over time.