Forest conditions for the regeneration of Pinus sylvestris L. in burnt areas (island pine forests of Amankaragai and Kazanbasy, Kostanay Region)

The initial stages of natural reforestation were studied in burned and fire-affected areas of the island-type pine forests of Amankaragai and Kazanbasy in the second year after large-scale wildfires. The studied sites included the following: control plots (areas unaffected by fire); burn (areas affected by a mixed-severity fire, with remaining standing trees); gorelnik (areas affected by crown fires, with approximately 10% of trees remaining); and cleared burn (areas where fire-damaged forest was harvested and removed in spring 2023). The highest density of natural regeneration was observed in the Kazanbasy pine forest, located in the Bora Mountain ridge – 53.2 thousand seedlings per hectare; and in the cleared burn area – 16.4 thousand seedlings per hectare. In the cleared burn area of the Amankaragai forest, vegetation succession followed a steppe-type pattern, with no signs of forest regeneration. The main obstacle to reforestation is the development of herbaceous cover dominated by long-rhizomatous species whose renewal buds lie deeper than 6–10 cm in the soil and are not damaged by high fire temperatures. In the island-type pine forests of Amankaragai and Kazanbasy, herbaceous vegetation is a strong competitor for moisture, being more adapted to the arid steppe climate, and can completely suppress tree seedling development. Successful reforestation of burned areas in the island-type pine forests of Kostanay Region is possible only if the ecological conditions of forest stands and the silvicultural background are taken into account. Special attention should be paid to the assessment of local microclimatic conditions.