Vegetation Analysis and Silvicultural Suggestions for Mitigating Fire Danger and Protecting Nature the Case of a Natura 2000 Site in Southern Greece

Purpose: The development of a methodological approach for the estimation of the wildfire danger in a protected area, located near a big city, based on the dominant factors contributing to a fire-prone environment and affect fire behavior. Theoretical framework: Vegetation management in protected areas characterized by sprawling of adjacent urban and suburban development patterns, is a complicated task, especially under Mediterranean climate due to the high vulnerability to wildfires. They should aim, among others, to mitigate forest-fire occurrence risk, eliminate the wildfire damages as well as to protect humans, and conserve the high biodiversity of the protected areas. Method: We generated a forest fire occurrence danger zone map based on: i) historical fire data ii) types of vegetation and forest ecosystem characteristics, iii) topographical characteristics, iv) distance from the settlements, and v) distance from the roads. A probability model equation for forest fire occurrence was produced. Wildland-Urban Interface mapping was also considered. Results and conclusion: Four categories of forest fire occurrence danger zones, ranging from very high to low, were classified. The zones with high and very high fire occurrence danger cover a low percentage of the study area (6.84% and 5.76%, respectively). In the very high fire danger zones, Pinus halepensis forest and evergreen sclerophyllous vegetation, prevail. A great part of the Wildland-Urban Interface WUI belongs to the zones of high and very high fire occurrence danger. Research implications: Several silvicultural and policy measures for creating fire-resilient ecosystems and mitigating the possibility of a wildfire occurrence and damages, are suggested. Originality/value: The determined site-specific vegetation management and policy measures are of great importance for land management in similar areas.