The geography of forest fires in Greece: fire resilience vis-à-vis management crises

Greece has an ever-increasing appeal for establishment of new and/or expansion of existing human settlements that in turn cause pressures on the natural environment, increasing the fire risk and resilience at a landscape level. A multitude of Mediterranean-type of ecosystems exist in the country, ranging from low shrubs and coniferous woodlands on coastal sites to high-elevation conifer and broadleaf forests. Fire plays a critical role on how these ecosystems were formed and function. Due to the topography, land uses, numerous islands, extensive coastlines and local microclimates, we find either broad zones with similar fire-related characteristics or enclaves where unique interactions with landscape fires prevail. We described the fuel and fire schemes in Greece as formed by different combinations of topography, weather, vegetation and human activity. A geographical context for this analysis was provided by examples of recent wildfires occurred in Greece during the 21st century, which re-shaped the landscape and affected in multiple ways the natural environment and human settlements from severe fire effects. In addition, we showed how these wildfires created crises that drove fire management policies; and we illustrated how fuels and wildfires should be managed based on their respective fire regimes and expected fire effects. Finally, we briefly reviewed future implications for wildfire management from the cumulative effects of climate change, urban sprawl and unmanaged forest growth.