Testing NBS and assisted migration to restore a burnt forest in the Dolomites

Post-disturbance active forest restoration is common in Europe, but climate change, new socioeconomic conditions, and scientific knowledge acquired in the last years are highlighting the inefficiencies of some business-as-usual practices. Especially after forest fires, the frailty of the burnt ecosystem calls for the use of low-impact interventions focused on nature-based solutions (NBS), taking advantage of biological legacies on the site, instead of site preparation and regular-scheme planting. This study presents an ongoing experiment set in one of the largest burnt areas on record in the Dolomites (Taibon Agordino, Italy). Although the forest is already recovering, the presence of invasive species, major changes in forest species composition, and the presence of cascade disturbances in nearby stands triggered the interest in local managers to test novel restoration interventions. Propagules (seeds, seedlings) of Quercus pubescens Mill. have been deployed near biological legacies (shrubs, branches, logs) used as NBS, along with sensors for air temperature and light intensity. We hypothesise that the selected biological legacies enhance the local microclimate and protect propagules from limiting factors such as deer browsing. The tree species selected is not present in the area yet, but it thrives in similar conditions in the Western Alps, and it is expected to adapt to the drier and warmer conditions anticipated with climate change. This intervention represents one of the first examples of assisted migration in the region, paving the way for further trials in the Eastern Alps. Survival and growth of the plants will be monitored periodically over the first two growing seasons, together with microclimate variations near the biological legacies. Preliminary results already show some differences between the experimental treatments. Local stakeholders shared great interest in the outcomes of this study, which can provide new solutions for post-fire forest restoration under a changing climate, in a region where forests provide multiple and highly valued ecosystem services.