Medium-term effects of straw helimulching on post-fire vegetation recovery in shrublands in north-west Spain.

Straw mulch is commonly applied to land after high-severity wildfires because of its effectiveness in reducing post-fire runoff and erosion. However, information about the effect on vegetation recovery is still scarce and usually limited to the first 2 years after wildfire. In this study, the effects of straw helimulching on vegetation recovery and species composition were assessed in 30 experimental plots established in four shrubland areas in north-west Spain 5 years after wildfire. The influence of the treatment on biomass accumulation in the medium term was also assessed. The relationships between soil burn severity, site characteristics (altitude, aspect, soil depth and percentage of stoniness) and the vegetation variables (total vegetation cover, weighted mean height of vegetation, total fuel load and litter and duff load) were also explored. Overall, the mulching treatment did not have significant effects on the variables studied. In the mulched plots, no non-native species were recorded 5 years after the wildfire. Site characteristics significantly affected the vegetation complex, but soil burn severity did not have any residual effect. The study findings indicate that straw helimulching has neutral effects on vegetation cover and composition in coastal shrublands in NW Spain in the medium term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]