Environmental impact of postfire logging in a Marittime pine stand in Tuscany (Central Italy)

Abstract. Public and scientific debate on postfire logging and rehabilitation activity has intensified in recent years. Scientific research has shown contrasting results on the effects of recovering activities over burned areas, depending on forest types and fire characteristics. On both economical and ecological basis, postfire logging and rehabilitation activities may have positive or negative effects, such as faster species recovery and restoration of nutrient levels, or longer species recovery and altered natural evolution. In this paper, the Authors describe the results of a study carried out in Tuscany (central Italy) with the aim to assess the environmental effects of postfire rehabilitation activities. Logging damages, regeneration processes, and effects on soil were examined. The study was carried out in a burned 16-years-old Pinus pinaster (Maritime pine) stand, that originated after a previous forest fire. The results show that postfire logging may damage natural early regeneration and increase soil compaction, especially when heavy machinery is used all over the stand. Even if logging productivity is lower, the use of environmentally-sound logging systems is recommended.