Impact of wildfires on plant cover and biomass in shrublands of Lagadas County in northern Greece

Large forested areas are destroyed by wildfires in Greece every year. A significant part of these areas is composed of shrublands dominated by kermes oak (Quercus coccifera). The present study was carried out in kermes oak shrublands covered by various shrub densities and located at Lagadas County of the Thessaloniki prefecture. In 2007, an area of an 563 hectares extension was burned. In three cover degrees (10-40% – open, 41-70% – medium and 71-100% – dense) and two burning treatments with three replications plant cover and above ground biomass (herbaceous and woody) were measured at the end of the second growing season since the wildfire. Herbaceous plant cover was highest in the open and woody plant cover was highest in the dense shrubland. Vegetation (herbaceous and woody) recovered very fast and no significant differences were observed two years after the wildfire. Regarding the above ground biomass, herbaceous was increased considerably in burned areas due to the reduction of woody plants. Total biomass however was statistically similar in burned and unburned areas.