Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 11.1
Indicators for ecosystem services provided by alternative land uses: soil carbon concentration for carbon
sequestration, richness of vascular plants for biodiversity and water production for water regulation. This information may
help evaluating restoration options. Average level of soil organic carbon (0-20 cm depth), richness of vascular plants (from
fl oristic inventories) and water production (precipitation minus evapotranspiration and interception) in landscape units from a
semi-arid area in south-eastern Spain (Derak 2010). Alfa grass:
Stipa tenacissima
.
programmes, now called Burn Area Emergency
Response. In the Mediterranean Basin, there is no spe-
cifi c, nation-wide regulation for early post-fi re rehabilita-
tion; instead decisions are taken at the management
project level.
To provide rapid soil protection, two main (non-
exclusive) techniques are used: (1)
seeding
with herba-
ceous species, often including fast - growing, non - native
species, and (2)
mulching
, that is, protection of soil
surface with various kinds of organic materials.
Seeding and mulching can be applied on large scales
and in remote areas by using aerial means. Both
seeding and mulching may reduce soil losses, surface
crusting and water evaporation, and enhance water
infi ltration (Bautista
et al
. 2009 ).
There are also many examples recorded of the low
effi ciency of post-fi re seeding on soil protection as a
result of poor germination. Further, regrowth of native
plants is often inhibited when introduced species have
much higher germination rates (Beyers 2009). In the
framework of ecological restoration, seeding would
be only justifi ed on degraded ecosystems with high
post - fi re degradation risk, showing low short-term
regeneration capacity, and when using native species
that combine both highly enough regeneration rate
and low competition with late-successional species
(Bautista
et al
. 2009 ).
11.2.3
Reintroduction of woody species
In many degraded lands affected by fi res and/or other
disturbances, it is necessary to
reintroduce
key
native woody species
to foster and accelerate succes-
