Post-Fire Natural Regeneration and Early Growth of Turkish Red Pine (Pinus brutia) Seedlings in Western Türkiye

Abstract Many Mediterranean pine forests exhibit failed post-fire recovery and reduced natural regeneration due to climate change effects, including severe fires and drought coupled with anthropogenic pressure. Turkish red pine (Pinus brutia L.) is Türkiye’s dominant and ecologically valuable pine species. It is fire-adapted and regenerates quickly after fires. However, the current fire regime may challenge its natural regeneration and distribution. This study compares Turkish red pine regeneration and seedling growth on burned and unburned sites in semi-arid Soma, Manisa, Türkiye. The experiment was conducted on two nearby naturally regenerated pine sites with and without a recent fire history. The naturally regenerated seedling density, root-collar diameter, height, crown diameter, and biomass growth of pine seedlings on 20 × 20-m plots were compared between the two experimental sites. A randomized complete block design with four blocks was employed in the study. Two years after natural regeneration, no significant difference was found between burned and unburned sites for seedling density or early seedling root-collar diameter, height, and crown width for Turkish red pine. However, the mean oven-dry biomass growth variables (e.g., total biomass: 38.7 g) and vigor (32.8) of the seedlings on unburned sites were significantly greater compared to those (11.5 g and 53.7, respectively) on burned sites. The recent wildfires appear to harm Turkish red pine seedlings’ early growth although they do not affect their initial establishment in the region. The recent fire regime may degrade and convert the present pine forests to other vegetation types, particularly with intense weed competition. Forest managers should focus on stricter monitoring and preventive actions against wildfires in these forests and closely monitor the growth of pine seedlings on burned sites, especially those with dense competing vegetation. Cite this article as: Baykara, E., & Eşen, D. (2025). Post-fire natural regeneration and early growth of Turkish red pine (Pinus brutia) seedlings in Western Türkiye. Forestist, 75, 0033, doi:10.5152/ forestist.2024.24033.