Management problems in Mediterranean cork oak forests: post-fire recovery

The objective of this paper is to present the results of a long-term research project carried out in north-east Sardinia, which aims to evaluate the effects of three different kinds of forest management (traditional trunk coppicing, branch pruning, and no sylvicultural practice) on the post-fire recovery of a cork oak (Quercus suber L.) stand. The most and the least effective forestry operations appeared to be traditional trunk coppicing and the branch pruning, respectively. Where traditional trunk coppicing is considered strictly necessary, the opportunity of thinning some of the new suckers should be carefully considered, as modern harvesting techniques should be combined with appropriate strategies to protect the soil from erosion.