Ruba Hamad^*(1), Mahmoud Ali⁽¹⁾ and Ola Merhej⁽²⁾

(1). Forestry & Ecology Department- Agriculture Faculty- Tishreen University- Latakia- Syria.

(2). General Organization of Remote Sensing- Department of Coastal Region- Latakia- Syria.

(^*Corresponding author:  Ruba Sohail Hamad, E- Mail:  rubaihamad08@gmail.com, mobile phone:  0991265560)

Received:  19/6/2023             Accepted:  24/10/2023

Abstract: 

Forest fires are a frequent phenomenon in the forests of the Mediterranean region in general and cause significant changes in the forest vegetation cover.  To understand how fires affect the structure of forests, it is necessary to study the characteristics of plant communities, their mechanisms of regeneration and the way they respond to the most important indicators associated with the occurrence of fires (heat and smoke).  In this study, the cross-line method was used to calculate the Relative Important Value (RIV) of the plant species in both the burned and unburned areas in Kfardabeel afforestation site in Jableh region (Lattakia), to know the effect of the fire that occurred on 9/10/2020 on natural regeneration of Pinus pinea L. and to calculate Indicators of plant biodiversity, taking into account both the dominance and relative abundance of plant species.  The results of the study showed that there were significant differences between the control group and the burned groups, where the Relative Important Values of Pinus pinea were decreased after the fire and its regeneration was acceptable on both the southern and northern slopes and very low on the western slope.  the Relative Important Values of the plant species that were dominant before the fire were also decreased, such as Genista acanthoclada DC. and Calycotome villosa (Vahl.) Link, in addition to the emergence of new plant species after the fire, such as Cistus salviifolius L. and Poterium spinosum L.  It was also shown that the values of Shannon and Simpson’s indeces were increased in the burned forest groups compared to the control group as a result of the decrease in the dominance of some plant species, the most important of which was Pinus pinea.  At the same time, the number of plant species adapted to the conditions after the fire was  increased, which contributed to an increase in plant biodiversity after the fire- especially on the northern slope.

Key words:  plant biodiversity, Pinus pinea L. (Stone pine), fires, natural regeneration, Kfardabeel Site.

Full paper in Arabic: pdf