Setting priorities for wildfires suppression policy in Greece, using a relation between yearly burned areas and recovery time

In the Mediterranean region, fire is a natural factor, which contributes in the shaping of landscape and
the preservation of a high degree of biodiversity. However, often repeated burning has negative impacts
on the forested landscapes. When the processes of natural or artificial regeneration are efficient and
the fire frequency is sufficiently low to enable the recovery of vegetation, recovery time T can be used
as a tool for setting priorities for the preservation of ecological and social functions of the forested
landsapes. Using a simple linear approach, we argue that their situation can be considered as acceptable,
when the percentage of the yearly burned area in relation to the total forested area is much lower
than 100/T (for practical purposes just lower than 10/T). This empirical rule was applied to the Greek
forested landscapes. In the case of pine forests of Pinus halepensis and Pinus brutia, it was found that
the condition implied by the rule was not satisfied and, therefore, a reduction of the yearly burned areas
of these lowland conifer forests is necessary. However, as far as the other types of forests, as well as
macchia and phrygana are concerned, the condition is satisfied.