Послепожарные изменения в светлохвойных лесах Башкирского заповедника

The assessment of the impact of fires on forest plantations in order to obtain information on the post-pyrogenic development of forest components over time is becoming increasingly relevant due to the increasing number of forest fires and the increase in the forest area affected by fire. The aim of the study has been to collect factual data on the processes of destruction and the initial stage of restoration of forest components in the Bashkir Nature Reserve after a major fire in 2020 in the Avdekte forestland. An analysis of post-fire changes in light coniferous plantations on the territory of the reserve after a ground fire has been carried out. For areas affected by fire of varying intensity, data are provided on changes in stand parameters 1 and 2 years after the fire, including a description of the dynamics of young growth, undergrowth, live ground cover and forest litter. The dependence of the proportion of dead trees on the stem diameter, the stock of the resulting litter and dead wood has been revealed. Young trees with a stem diameter of less than 16 cm and old-growth trees with fire scars or other damage have been the most severely affected. Medium-aged trees are characterized as the best preserved, which have a high potential for recovery after weakening under the influence of adverse factors. Using Sentinel-2 multispectral images, damage to stands 1 and 2 years after the fire has been assessed, and forested and unforested areas have been identified. The forested areas have been divided into 4 categories according to the degree of tree stand destruction: 0–25; 26–50; 51–75 and more than 75 %. Their areas have been identified in dynamics 1 and 2 years after the fire. In the 2nd year after the fire, the area of the plantation, where tree loss has been more than 75 %, has increased from 619.7 to 1059.2 ha and has been occupying more than 1/3 of the territory affected by fire. The data of instrumental measurements and satellite images have shown a high similarity of the results obtained.