Plot size and shape for the early assessment of post-fire regeneration in Aleppo Pine Stands

Aleppo pine stands account for a third of the burned forests in the Mediter ranean basin. The early assessment of post-fire regeneration is essential f or the management of such stands. The assessment should be based on reliabl e and objective methods. In the Mediterranean basin, plot size and shape ap plied in regeneration survey designs and sampling schemes differ considerab ly. A study involving twelve stands (7 unharvested and 5 harvested) in the Province of Taranto (southern Italy) was carried out 38 months after a fire , by comparing: plots of different shape and size within a plot-count sampl ing frame. The relative efficiency method was used to compare the efficienc y of each size and shape. Early regeneration of Aleppo pine proved to be be st assessed by 8m x 2m plots, i.e. by a plot size four times wider than the most commonly used one (2m x 2m). The need for such wide plots depends upo n the typical spatial arrangement of the seedlings whose clustering is asso ciated with the presence of seed bearing trees.