ABSTRACT
Often seen simply as a destructive force, the role of fire in the Mediterranean landscape has been reappraised in recent years. The destruction is seen in monetary terms with respect to the prevention of loss to land, property and valuable forests, the costs of fire fighting, and of rehabilitation of the landscape after a fire has taken place (Le Houérou, 1987). However, work on the ecological impacts of fire since that of Naveh (1975) has demonstrated the stability and diversity of Mediterranean ecosystems. This chapter focuses on the controls on forest fires followed by their impacts on vegetation, and the movement of water and sediments through the landscape. Issues relating to more recent impacts are dealt with in a later chapter.
