Controlled Burning in Mediterranean Forests: Scientific Analysis and Risks to the Ecosystem & our Health

Διαβάστε στα Ελληνικά

This time, I have the pleasure of hosting the critically important post by the esteemed Forester Mr P. Konstantinidis, regarding yet another disaster that the gang of 300+1 intends to perpetrate in the fire-ravaged, and already full of "lush green" monsters, Greece.

And it is not only my love for Nature that drives me to address these issues, but also the fact that they have direct and indirect effects on our health (oxygen, floods, disasters…), something that, as a Holistic Therapist, I will not ignore!!!

I will not comment further, except to inform you with my research about "where they are heading" and where we will end up if we allow it...!I will remind you at the end as well.

Author: Pavlos Konstantinidis - Forester

"On Prescribed Fire (Once Again)

I followed the discussion in Parliament regarding the bill "Active Battle Against Forest Fires".It could have been yet another typical, rather tedious procedure, if there had not been a clear jab directed at the forester profession. A reproachful tone, a wagging finger, a direct accusation that we do not understand the good intention behind the mandatory legal application of prescribed fire (controlled fire) in fire prevention, that we supposedly refuse to save forests from fire.

The Underestimation of Foresters

It was said that we foresters "throw out that it’s not suitable for Mediterranean ecosystems" and that we create issues of ethics and professional conduct. So, let us give these gentlemen some brief lessons in forest ecology. Not to reprimand, but to clarify what specialised knowledge means in an ecosystem as fragile and unique as the Mediterranean one. This lesson-text is lengthy, but it is worth reading by all. Because the environment is the heritage of us all.

Lesson 1: On the Danger of Controlled Burning

1.     The Chemical Basis of Flammability

Mediterranean ecosystems are rich in secondary metabolites, mainly:

o   Monoterpenes such as α-pinene, β-pinene, myrcene, limonene

o   Sesquiterpenes

o   Phenolic compounds

o   Resin acids

o   Tannins

o   Highly volatile essential oils

These compounds have low ignition points and high volatility. Under conditions of even moderate temperature increase, they are released into the atmosphere around the plant and create a flammable gas cloud. The combustion is not limited to the solid fuel; it extends into the vapour phase.

2.     Mediterranean Sclerophyllous Shrubs

Species such as Pistacia lentiscus, Arbutus unedo, Erica arborea, Phillyrea media, Quercus coccifera are characterised by:

o   Glandular structures on leaves

o   Accumulation of essential oils in intercellular spaces

o   High surface area to volume ratio in thin branches

The monoterpenes they contain evaporate quickly when the plant tissue temperature reaches critical levels. The flame does not need to touch the leaf; it is enough for the volatile cloud to ignite. Flammability here is a combination of chemistry and morphology.

3.     Thermophilic Mediterranean Pines

In thermophilic pines such as Pinus halepensis and Pinus brutia, flammability is enhanced by:

o   High resin content

o   Storage of monoterpenes in resin ducts

o   Fine fuel from needles

o   Continuous vertical and horizontal combustible material

Resins act as liquid fuel embedded in the plant tissue. When heated, their volatile fraction evaporates, and ignition becomes explosive.

4.     Phrygana – The Underrated Explosive Understorey

Phrygana ecosystems, with species such as Sarcopoterium spinosum, Cistus creticus, Thymus capitatus, Origanum vulgare, Phlomis fruticosa show:

o   Very high content of essential oils

o   Surface resinous secretions

o   Low height but extremely high density

o   Large accumulation of dead fine fuel

The essential oils in thyme and oregano, for example, contain thymol and carvacrol. These are phenolic monoterpenes with intense volatility and high energy output upon combustion. In species of the genus Cistus, resinous secretions create an almost flammable surface coating. The phrygana is not low-risk because it is short; it is short but chemically charged.

5.     Autumn Conditions and Volatility

The application of controlled burning in autumn is based on the assumption that:

o   Temperatures are lower

o   Relative humidity is higher

o   Winds are milder

However:

• Fine fuel has already dried out since summer

• Essential oils remain active and volatile

• Daily thermal rise suffices to evaporate monoterpenes

• Atmospheric stability can trap volatile gases near the ground

Ignition under such circumstances is not linear. There can be a sudden intensity increase when the volatile cloud reaches a critical concentration. Fire ceases to be entirely predictable. Would anyone risk a fire in winter near a petrol station?

6.     Conclusion

The flammability of Mediterranean ecosystems is not merely a matter of dry biomass. It is primarily a matter of chemistry.

7.     Essential oils.Monoterpenes.Resins.Phenolic derivatives.

Shrubs, pines, and phrygana compose a plant system with integrated volatile fuel.Controlled fire in such an environment is not a simple technical act. It is an intervention in a chemically active ecosystem.And when we point out the risk, it is not a denial of progress. It is the application of forest ecology, plant physiology, and fire ecology.

Lesson 2: On the Degree of Benefit from Controlled Burning

The natural regeneration of Mediterranean shrubs after fire and the issue of unwarranted intervention.

In Mediterranean ecosystems, fire is a historical, evolutionary, and ecological element of the system. Shrubs are organisms shaped within a regime of repeated fires over thousands of years.This means something very simple yet fundamental:Regeneration after fire is biologically programmed.Let us see how.

1.     Regrowth from Latent Buds

Mediterranean shrubs possess underground or basal regrowth organs. After fire, the above-ground part is destroyed, but:

o   The root system remains alive

o   Underground buds are activated

o   New shoots are rapidly produced

Typical examples include: Quercus coccifera, Pistacia lentiscus, Arbutus unedo, Phillyrea media.

This regrowth can begin within a few hours. The plant recovers from the same genetic individual. The speed of ground cover is impressive. In the first growing season, it covers 60% of the density and height before the fire, and 100% in the second.This means the benefit of controlled burning is limited, at best, to a few months. Question. Is it worth it?

2.     Fire-Stimulated Seed Production and Seed Bank

Other species base their regeneration on seeds stored in the soil, the so-called seed bank.Species such as Cistus creticus, Cistus salviifolius, Erica manipuliflorahave seeds with hard coats.

Thermal stimulation from fire:

• Breaks dormancy

• Increases seed coat permeability

• Allows massive germination after the first rains

  
  

Therefore, fire acts as an ecological switch.

3.     The Trap of Oversimplification

It is often heard that controlled fire reduces fuel load and thus protects the forest. Yes, it temporarily reduces the load for a few months. But simultaneously:

o   It stimulates massive regrowth

o   It increases age-class homogeneity

o   It creates dense, young fuel

In a few months, accumulation can be equally problematic. The solution is not linear. Ecology is not a simple equation.

4.     The Concept of Natural Succession

After fire, the ecosystem passes through stages:

• Primary regrowth

• Dense young vegetation

• Gradual differentiation

• Maturation and structural heterogeneity

This progression creates a mosaic of structures. This mosaic reduces the risk of large, uniform fires in the future.However, when we systematically intervene with burns before the cycle is completed, we trap the system in an early stage. And the early stages are the most flammable.

5.     Conclusion

Mediterranean shrubs are a product of evolutionary adaptation to fire.They regrow.They seed.They recover.Unwarranted intervention in a system with inherent recovery dynamics is not progress. It is disturbance.Management must start from a fundamental assumption:That we first observe nature and then decide if it truly needs correction. Never the reverse.Otherwise, we merely replace the natural wisdom of ecosystems with human recklessness.

Lesson 3: What Happens When We Remove the Understorey from a Natural Ecosystem

A Mediterranean forest is not just trees. It is a multi-layered system:

• Overstorey with tree species

• Understorey with shrubs

• Phrygana and herbaceous layers

• Dead organic matter

• Soil with microorganisms and invertebrates

  
  

Each layer performs specific ecological functions. If we remove one, we do not remove only biomass. We remove roles.And nature does not forgive gaps.

1.     The Role of the Understorey

The understorey:

o   Regulates soil temperature

o   Maintains moisture

o   Protects against erosion

o   Creates heterogeneity of microhabitats

o   Hosts predatory insects, birds, and reptiles

In ecosystems with species such as Pinus halepensis, Pinus brutia, the understorey acts as a biological filter and population regulator.When we systematically remove it, through clearings or repeated burns, we create crippled systems.

Imagine an organised city. It has doctors, teachers, engineers, farmers, craftsmen, workers, scientists, artists.Someone decides, for "efficiency", to keep only one profession. Let’s say lawyers.The city will have abundant legal analysis.But it will have no food. No health. No technical support. No education.This will lead to collapse. The exact same happens with forests.

Removing the understorey:

• Increases solar radiation on soil

• Increases thermal fluctuations

• Reduces relative humidity

• Accelerates decomposition of organic matter

The soil becomes more bare, warmer, and drier. This directly affects nutrient cycles with all that implies.

2.     The Risk of Entomological Explosions

In simplified ecosystems, the risk of monocultures and epidemics increases.A characteristic example is the processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa.Its life cycle includes pupation in the soil. In bare, unobstructed soil, without dense understorey and with reduced presence of natural enemies, pupation is easier and survival rates are higher.At the same time, reduced biodiversity means fewer predators and parasitoids that naturally regulate its population.The result can be an exponential population increase, as happens in all peri-urban forests where the understorey is cleared.

3.     Invasive and Opportunistic Species

Disturbance and simplification open space for:

o   Opportunistic insects

o   Fungi

o   Possible invasions of alien species

Natural ecosystems resist invasions through complexity. The simpler the system, the more vulnerable it is.

4.     Resilience and Heterogeneity

A forest's resilience is based on:

o   Structural heterogeneity

o   Species diversity

o   Age-class diversity

o   Functional diversity

The understorey is not "excess fuel". It is a functional layer. Its systematic removal may temporarily reduce biomass but increases ecological vulnerability in the long term.

5.     Conclusion

The natural ecosystem is a network of relationships. When we remove one link, the others are pressured.A forest of trees alone is not a complete forest. It is a skeleton.And in a skeleton, any disturbance is transmitted without absorbing shocks. Management must respect the structure and function of the system. Not simplify it in the name of one-dimensional logic.Ecology has taught us something fundamental.Complexity is not a problem. It is a defence.

Epilogue

We started from that phrase: "We throw out that controlled fire is not suitable for Mediterranean ecosystems".No, we do not "throw it out". We support it.

If these three lessons are not enough, we can go deeper. Talk about combustion thermodynamics in fuel mosaics. Critical ignition loads of monoterpenes. Fire recurrence thresholds and seed bank depletion. Changes in soil microbial biomass. Population explosion models of Thaumetopoea pityocampa in simplified systems.

But let us stay, for now, on what even non-foresters can understand. What they plan and what they implement would not concern us if it were a theoretical experiment. If the consequences were limited to a results table. But this is not an abstract scheme. It is the landscape that our children and grandchildren will inherit. The soils that will either hold life or succumb to erosion. The ecosystems that will either maintain resilience or collapse.

Therefore, the discussion is not personal. It is scientific.

And since ethics and conduct were mentioned, no scientist tolerates a wagging finger or being told "stop". Scientific disagreement is not met with reprimand, but with evidence. To the vociferous supporters of controlled fire, I pose the direct question: What is their evidenced response to what has been presented? Do they disagree that there are flammable chemical volatile compounds in the forests where they will apply fire? Do they disagree that natural shrub regeneration reduces effectiveness in a few months? Do they disagree about the usefulness of the understorey? About the risk of population explosions? This is a scientific challenge. Not rhetorical.

I await.

Responsibilities

P.S. Controlled fire will soon become state law. Foresters and firefighters will be called to apply it, being responsible also for possible failure. Because, as was said in Parliament, everything has its risk, and just as we take risks on an aeroplane, so too do we risk burning a forest. If you believe a coordinated refusal of this madness is worth it, spread this among all forester and firefighter colleagues."

These are words from the esteemed Scientist – Forester Mr Pavlos Konstantinidis.

I thank him again for allowing me to host his extremely enlightening post!

And we, dear friends, let's do whatever we can.

*Some of you may know my involvement in disasters.

We can discuss whatever you wish.

Subscribe so I can keep you informed with articles on Health.

I kindly remind you of my article on the future of the planet, food, water, health, housing. (Official data and studies)

Please sit and try to remain calm... it is heavy.

Thank you for the visit, the trust and the wonderful messages! They give me strength to continue defending our Health, against the industry that profits from our il

If you are experiencing symptoms, we can discuss and see what you can do, or fill in the Medical History form directly (Free and Confidential, limited availability, language selection top-right on the homepage).

*I manage my site and forms personally, no one else has access to your data, and the Therapy files are protected by Legislation on Medical Confidentiality.

Thank you very much for your visit and your supportive messages! They give me the strength to continue opposing the dangerous industry that profits from our illness…

Loads of Love,

Thomais

Internationally Certified Holistic Therapist

Member of IPHM

Biography

Holistic Therapy

All my articles

The article is for informational purposes and is based on long-term research and studies.

You may republish the article in its entirety, not in part, and without citing the source.

All rights reserved © Thomais de Fois 2023