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- ItemOpen AccessA Participatory Multi-Criteria Approach to Select Areas for Post-Fire Restoration After Extreme Wildfire Events(MDPI, 2025) Casados , Sara María; Rodríguez-Fernández, Sergio; Marques, Susete; Cuartas, Ana María Monsalve; Frutos , Sergio de; Coll Mir, Lluís; Borges, José G.Extreme wildfire events (EWEs) are becoming increasingly frequent in Mediterranean regions, posing significant threats to ecosystems. This study aimed to support post-fire restoration planning by developing a prioritization framework that categorizes areas according to different levels of vulnerability to the adverse impacts of EWEs. We developed a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach to classify these areas within a fire perimeter. The process begins with the collection of available spatial data to assess the pre- and post-fire conditions. Following this, a set of criteria and sub-criteria was established through a participatory approach with local stakeholders. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to determine stakeholders’ preferences, which were then processed using the Criterium Decision Plus (CDP) version 4 software to support problem modeling. A combined consistency check was applied to ensure both individual coherence and group agreement. Finally, the methodology was integrated using the Ecosystem Management Decision Support (EMDS) software version 9, resulting in a spatial prioritization map that visually represents the levels of restoration priority and serves as a decision-support tool for post-fire restoration planning. Both the process and its results are discussed for an application to a large fire perimeter in the Vale do Sousa forested landscape.
- ItemOpen AccessOn the evidence of contextually large fires in Europe based on return period functions(Elsevier, 2025) Duane, Andrea; Moghli, Aymen; Coll Mir, Lluís; Vega García, CristinaVery large wildfire events represent substantial social and ecological disturbances globally, with recent occurrences suggesting unprecedented scale and impact. What constitutes a large fire event in each territory varies regionally depending on biophysical attributes and fire management response. Despite the efforts made to provide standardized metrics across ecosystems, there remains a need for new methods to identify and evaluate fires that are contextually large. Here, we propose a framework to evaluate contextually large fires in Europe, considering them as fires larger than expected based on return period functions. Utilizing 23 years of data from the European Forest Fires Information System, we applied extreme value theory to compute fire return periods at the regional level (administrative units of approximately 17,600 km2). Results identified 115 regions out of 330 (35%) that experienced at least one contextually large fire, primarily in southern Europe, but also dispersed across the temperate and Atlantic biomes. While 32 contextually large fires were larger than 10,000 ha, 104 were smaller than 500 ha. The occurrence of contextually large fires shows a positive trend along the study period. This dataset provided valuable insights for assessing extreme wildfires, their distribution and their probabilities, facilitating effective risk mitigation strategies in Europe.
- ItemOpen AccessThe FIRE-RES Project: Innovative Technologies and Socio-Ecological–Economic Solutions for FIRE RESilient Territories in Europe(MDPI, 2022) Duane, Andrea; Trasobares, Antoni; Górriz Mifsud, Elena; Casafont, Laia; Maltoni, Sara: Extreme wildfire events exceeding control capacity are becoming a major environmental, economic and social threat, not only in fire-prone regions in Southern Europe, America and Oceania, but also in new areas such as Central and Northern Europe. The EU H2020 FIRE-RES project aims to provide Europe with the necessary capacity to avoid collapse in the face of Extreme Wildfire Events (EWE), which are projected to increase as the result of a harsher climate. FIRE-RES is a 4-year project (2021–2025) whose scope is to effectively promote the implementation of a holistic fire management approach and support the transition towards more resilient landscapes and communities to EWE in Europe. FIRE-RES brings together a transdisciplinary, multi-actor consortium of 35 partners, formed by researchers, wildfire agencies, technological companies, industry and civil society from 13 countries, linking to broader networks in science and disaster reduction management. The project will deploy a total of 34 innovation actions across a set of eleven living labs representing different environments in Europe and Chile. Its final mission is to boost the socio-ecological transition of the European Union towards a fire-resilient continent by developing a stream of innovative actions.
- ItemOpen AccessFire severity shapes landscape heterogeneity in Mediterranean forest ecosystems(Springer Nature, 2025) Blanco-Rodríguez, Miguel Ángel; Améztegui González, Aitor; Alday, Josu G.; Lecina-Diaz, Judit; Pineda Zapata, Sara; Coll Mir, LluísIn Mediterranean forests, the increasing frequency of high severity fires poses a challenge to current landscape management. In addition, these areas are experiencing a generalized process of landscape homogenization leading to a major risk of large fires. In this context, it is important to understand how wildfires (e.g. fire severity) influence changes in landscape heterogeneity.
- ItemOpen AccessLinking forest planning and recreational trail design: a GIS approach for enhancing the social use of forests(Springer Nature, 2025) Àvila Callau, Aitor; Erdozain Ibarra, Maitane; Farías Torbidoni, Estela Inés; Miguel Magaña, Sergio deForests planned for social use are classified as such due to the cultural ecosystem services they offer. To fully benefit from these services, forest stands for social use must be easily accessible and interconnected, not just through forest roads but also through recreational trails, a key outdoor leisure infrastructure. However, forest planning and trail design are seldom integrated. This study addresses this issue by proposing a method to create connector routes between official trails and forest stands managed for social objectives (FSMSO), enhancing the socio-recreational use of forests. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), our approach analyses overlap between official trails and FSMSO, identifies direct routes with origin-destination matrices and assesses FSMSO accessibility. Route viability was then calculated, supporting decision-makers in assessing route homologation potential. In our study area (Catalonia, Spain), findings show that only 14% of the FSMSO overlap with official trails. Among those not overlapping, 75% are connected with official trails via the road network, while 25% are inaccessible. Of the accessible stands from official trails, 54% are more than 20 min away on foot, while 22% are within 20 min. Most created connectors (62%) have moderate viability, with 13% showing high viability for official homologation. Regarding forest types, riparian forests are the most common in FSMSO (15%) and the most connected to official trails (17%). Our methodology supports integrated forest planning and trail design, enhancing socio-recreational opportunities, while emphasising the need for regulations addressing risks and challenges linked to promoting the public use of forests.