Pinus sylvestris forest regeneration under different post-fire restoration practices in the northwestern Italian Alps

It is frequently believed that a post-fire environment requires immediate actions in order to be restored. Salvage logging followed by plantation are common post-fire restoration practices in many forests of North-western Italian Alps. The objectives of this study were to assess the impact of active and passive management techniques on the restoration of a burned area of the Aosta Valley and to determine which approach is the most suitable for enhancing Pinus sylvestris regeneration after stand replacing wildfires. The influence of five management options (no intervention; salvage logging; broadleaves plantation; Larix decidua plantation; P. sylvestris or Pseudotsuga menziesii plantation) and environmental variables on natural regeneration structure and composition was evaluated through direct gradient analysis. P. sylvestris and Populus tremula were the dominant tree species (40% and 29% respectively) in the regeneration layer. Density, size, and structural diversity of natural regeneration were higher in the no intervention area. The proximity to forest edge was found to be the most important environmental variable. This study provided evidence that taking advantage of natural restoration processes may be a suitable alternative strategy to the active restoration practices adopted according to the Aosta Valley policy of post-fire management.