Assessment of post-fire vegetation restoration rate of maquis in relation to secondary succession stage

The aim of this study was to estimate the vegetation restoration rate in the Mediterranean evergreen shrublands according to the vegetation succession stage, three years after fire, of 2007. The research was carried out in burned Mediterranean evergreen shrublands of the prefectures of Ileia and Lakonia. The ground cover and the composition of vegetation, the annual production of herb and shrub species vegetation and the total annual height of the dominant shrub species were measured, in the end of the growing season the 3rd year after fire. The results have shown that in Mediterranean evergreen shrublands three years after fire, the vegetation of the burned areas is on the last stages of secondary succession in a dynamic of evolution towards complete restoration. The grazing of these areas, 3 years after fire, according to their grazing capacity will contribute to their conservation in a good range condition.