Features of post-fire restoration of pine forests in the V.V. Raevsky “Malaya Sosva” Nature Reserve
A.E. PIGARYEVA, D.S. SPESIVTSEV
Tyumen State University, Tyumen, Russia
Keywords: forest fires, pyrogenic factors, remote sensing, fire age, fire intensity, normalized indices
Abstract
The article considers the features of post-fire restoration of forest communities in the V.V. Raevsky “Malaya Sosva” Nature Reserve depending on the location, intensity, and age of the pyrogenic factor. Based on remote sensing data, maps of the spatial distribution of fire outbreaks were compiled using Landsat imagery. According to the results of field studies, reforestation in the burned areas of 2012 was recorded. It has been revealed that in the reserve’s pine forests, reforestation after fires occurs without a change in species. It has been established that in the first years after fires, despite their intensity, mass shoots of Scots pine appear in key areas. Natural regeneration is uniform in almost all areas. The NDVI vegetation index was calculated to quantitatively assess vegetation condition, and the MSI index was used to quantitatively assess plant moisture as a factor determining the level of fire resistance. High intensity of vegetation of forest stands is observed in areas where fires occurred more than 50 years ago. The lowest NDVI values were obtained at the test sites exposed to severe crown fires in 2012, which is consistent with geobotanical descriptions made during field observations. The test sites where plants were most provided with moisture bear traces of old fires, while the most elevated areas, where high-intensity fires occurred, are the driest, as confirmed by the MSI values from 1 to 1,2.
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