Research concludes that seed dispersal services in the recovery of burned forests can cost more than 23 million euros per year

The scientific paper “What is the value of biotic seed dispersal in post-fire forest regeneration?”, published in the Conservation Letters journal, shows the work that is being developed for the “Life After Fire” project, which was developed after the 2017 fires, in Portugal and has as main aim researching the importance of seed dispersal in the recovery of forests after a fire.

“With this research, we have concluded that, besides the economic value of seed dispersal services, although the crushing majority of species does not depend exclusively on seed dispersal by animals, for around each third of those plants dispersion is a way for them to colonize the burned zones again”, reveals Sérgio Timóteo, DCV researcher and project leader.

According to the paper, the majority of the species has multiple strategies to face fire, including two dozen species that possess all the strategies, namely germination from the seed banks after forest fire (78%), regrowth capacity (54%), and biotic (35%) or abiotic (28%) seed dispersal adaptations. Although only eight species are exclusively dependent on biotic dispersion, 166 species (approximately one-third of the species evaluated) have characteristics that facilitate animal dispersion. Thus, the relative importance of biotic dispersion is estimated at 16%.

According to the FCTUC researcher, when large forest fires occur, like the ones from 2017, “some kind of intervention is necessary in some areas, mainly concerning soil stabilization, sometimes even recolonization by invasive species. All these are active actions, which is, they require human action”, refers, noting that animals and nature itself also have a very important role in this recuperation.

Therefore, in this study, “we estimate the economic value of the biotic seed dispersion service, that is, by animals, in the post-fire restoration in Portugal. We combine budgeted costs from the governmental Emergency Stabilization Reports with network analysis that estimate Portuguese flora dependency of biotic seed dispersion and post-fire regeneration alternative strategies” explains.

“The replacement of the services provided by seed dispersers during post-fire regeneration of Portuguese forests would cost more than 23 million euros per year, highlighting the necessity for integrative policies that promote resilient forests”, concludes.

The scientific paper, by José Benedicto Royela, José Miguel Costa +, Ruben Heleno, Joaquim Sande Silva, Helena Freitas, Pedro Brito Lopes, Sara Beatriz Mendes, and Sérgio Timóteo, is available here.

(Original press release elaborated in Portuguese by Sara Machado, FCTUC )