A Comprehensive Framework for Forest Restoration after Forest Fires in Theory and Practice: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Incidences of forest fires have increased in recent decades largely as a result of climate change and human factors, resulting in great environmental and socioeconomic losses. Post-fire forest restoration is therefore indispensable for maintaining forest ecological integrity and for the sustainability of the affected forest landscapes. In this study, we conduct a systematic review of the available literature on forest restoration in the past two decades (2002–2022) and propose a comprehensive framework for consideration in forest restoration after the occurrence of forest fires. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model was adopted for this study, where three academic literature databases (Scopus, CAB Direct, Web of Science), the Google Scholar search engine, and specialized websites were used for literature searches. A final list of 36 records from the initial 732 was considered for this study after the screening stage and subsequent inclusion/exclusion of articles as per the stipulated eligibility criteria. The study findings reveal a dearth of information in the field of post-fire forest restoration in an integrated, balanced, and comprehensive manner, as there was no single methodology or unified protocol that guides post-fire forest restoration. There was also a notable bias in the geographical distribution of the relevant studies in restoration as influenced by economic prosperity, political stability, and scientific and technical advancement. This study recommends a 6-criteria comprehensive framework with 29 indicators for post-fire forest restoration based on the reviewed studies. The criteria integrate environmental, economic, social, cultural and aesthetic, management, infrastructure, and education objectives in their design and implementation for better outcomes in achieving the restoration goals.