Large wildfires have increased in the Mediterranean region due to socio-economic and land-use changes. The most immediate and concerning consequence of the wildfires is the loss of vegetation. However, there are few studies on the relationship between wildfire and vegetation recovery, especially on the complex relationship between species composition, burn severity and geo-environmental context. This…
Fire regime is predicted to change, particularly in Mediterranean climate regions, towards more severe and frequent fire events. From a predictive perspective, trait-based ecology offers a comprehensive framework to characterize vegetation responses to fire. Since fires induce erosion and decrease soil nutrients, species’ functional traits and their distribution at community level should reflect these changes….
A study by a research team at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA) has underscored the growing threats to Greece’s forestland due to climate change. According to the study, the combined climatic phenomena of heatwaves and droughts have become defining features of Greece’s climate, significantly increasing the risk of wildfires in a country…
Scripps Research scientists discovered how a chemical modification of a key brain protein—potentially triggered by climate change-induced air pollution, pesticides, wildfires and processed meats—disrupts normal brain cell function. February 27, 2025 LA JOLLA, CA—Air pollution contributes to nearly 7 million premature deaths each year, and its effects go far beyond the lungs. Breathing in wildfire…
As grasslands get abandoned, controlled burning is discussed as a labor-saving method of keeping forests at bay. A Kobe University research team found that this method results in higher biodiversity and a higher prevalence of endangered plant species in some grasslands compared to others, depending on what soils they grow on. Humans have been keeping…
Birds are steadily moving north. Or at least those who can are. “California Scrub Jays moved to Port Townsend the same year I did,” said Steve Hampton, speaking Tuesday to the Peregrine Audubon Society in Ukiah about how birds in Northern California are adapting to the changes in their environment caused by both rising temperatures…
Fire behaviour in the Mediterranean region has been altered by climate change. In the last decade, not only has the occurrence of fires increased but also their virulence. This is primarily due to higher temperatures and the decrease in the rainfall, which have made forest ecosystems less able to withstand fires. It has also been…
This study deals with the information gap on desertification risk for wetland habitat types in Natura 2000 network sites of Greece. Using the Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) index as a proxy, all Natura 2000 wetland habitat types have been assessed and assigned to desertification risk categories. The assessment was conducted at the national, regional, and…
Extreme fire seasons in the Mediterranean basin have received international attention due to the damage caused to people, livelihoods, and vulnerable ecosystems. There is a body of literature linking increasingly intense, large fires to a build-up of fuel from rural land abandonment exacerbated by climate change. However, a better understanding of the complex factors driving…
Wildfires can be considered as a natural part of many ecosystems, but their frequency and heightened risk have been notably influenced by climate change. This amplified threat poses a significant concern that necessitates further study on the properties and behavior of smoke particles. The 2023 was a year of intense wildfires worldwide with Greece experiencing…