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First Characterization of Megafire Refugia in a South American Subtropical Mountain Forest

D. Argibay,A. M. Cingolani,J. Sparacino,R. Suárez,Isabell Hensen,D. Renison

Published 2025 in Forests

ABSTRACT

Fire refugia play an important role in post-fire ecosystem recovery because they preserve areas that represent a persistent legacy in the landscape and serve as propagule sources for forest regeneration. Our objective was to identify the pre-fire topographic and land cover conditions that determine the presence and quality of megafire refugia in the mountains of central Argentina. In 208 1-ha field-based plots, we assessed pre-fire topographic and land cover variables along with post-fire vegetation responses two years after the megafires. Based on these assessments, we developed a fire refugia quality index ranging from 0 (no refugia) to 5 (high-quality refugia). Using ordinal logistic regression and a model selection approach, we found that high-quality fire refugia were associated with the more humid east mountain flank and east- and north-facing slopes, as well as with smooth terrain, high topographic positions, greater rock cover, steep slopes, and higher tree-to-grass cover proportions. Our findings highlight the importance of topographic and land cover variables in shaping fire refugia and provide insights into post-fire management and the conservation of biodiversity in mountain ecosystems.

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