Wildfire Impact and the “Fire Paradox” in a Natural and Endemic Pine Forest Stand and Shrubland

Abstract

Fire is a powerful force that has shaped forests for thousands of years. It also provokes widespread social concern due to possible economic damage, social effects, impact on homes and properties, and other social effects including fatalities. Regions with seasonal variations in aridity have a fire regime dependent on climate resulting from the role of precipitation and temperature in fire occurrence, implying a synchrony of fire occurrence at regional scale. This spatial and temporal variation of fire regimes regulates the structure, diversity, regeneration dynamics, and nutrient cycle of an area. In the Canary Islands, fires are recurrent in pine forests, although their occurrence in the same area more than once within a 20-year period is rare. The main aim of this work is to reveal, over a 50-year period, fire occurrence and impact on the Canary Islands and how the islands are immersed in a “fire paradox”—a process typical of protected areas, where fire suppression becomes one of the main aims of forest management.