ABSTRACT

This project is the result of collaboration between the Centre for Applied Ecology Prof. Baeta Neves – School of Agriculture (CEABN-ISA), the Municipality of Coruche - Observatory for Cork Oak and Cork (CMC-OSC) and the Forest Producers Association of Coruche and Adjacent Municipalities (APFC). The project also has the collaboration of researchers from the Forest Research Centre (CEF-ISA) and the National Institute of Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV).

The project started in 2013 and aims to improve our knowledge about cork oak ecology (Quercus suber), more specifically about the effects of fire and post-fire management in forest stands of this species affected by wildfires. We intend to understand better the resistance and resilience of cork oak to fire, and particularly the relationships between the success of the post-fire recovery and forest management practices (cutting, thinning, bark stripping), or the presence of pests and diseases (Platypus cylindrus, Xyleborus spp., Coroebus spp., Biscogniauxia mediterranea).

RESULTS

Some of the results of this study, which is still ongoing, can be found in the documents provided here. The results obtained so far show that the fire that occurred on July 2013 in Herdade dos Concelhos in Coruche, had a strong impact on existing cork oak stands.

In the sixth fall after the fire about half of all the cork oaks monitored were dead and only 13% had crown regeneration (crown resprouting). But the post-fire responses were very different between exploited and unexploited trees (debarked and never debarked, respectively). Among the exploited cork oaks, which represent the vast majority of existing trees, only 38% survived and only 4% had crown regeneration, while among unexploited trees 89% survived and 53% had crown regeneration.

Although many cork oaks showed crown regeneration shortly after the fire (~ 80%), most of them dried up in the following years, with most of the surviving trees regenerating only from the base of the trunk (basal resprouts). In the early years after the fire many of the cork oaks were attacked by insects, namely ambrosia beetles, considered the only forest pests capable of attacking and killing adult cork oaks. In general, the cork oak trees that recovered better after the fire were unexploited, had thicker bark, had smaller diameter and lower debarking height, were less carbonized, and were located in areas with lower basal area (lower density of pines and cork oaks).

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER:

Publications in international journals:

Catry FX, Branco M, Moreira F, Sousa E, Rego F (2022). Ambrosia beetle attacks in Mediterranean cork oak forests following fire: which factors drive host selection? Fire 5(4): 115. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire5040115

Catry, F.X., Branco, M., Sousa, E., Caetano, J., Naves, P., Nóbrega, F. (2017). Presence and dynamics of ambrosia beetles and other xylophagous insects in a Mediterranean cork oak forest following fire. Forest Ecology and Management 404, 45-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2017.08.029

Publications in national journals:

Catry FX (2019). O sobreiro, a gestão florestal e o fogo. Geia, 1, 19-24. ISSN 2184-4437 [Download]

Presentations and publications in scientific/technical meetings:

Catry FX (2023). Ambrosia Beetle Attacks in Mediterranean Cork Oak Forests Following Fire: Which Factors Drive Host Selection? Conselho Geral do Centro de Competências do Sobreiro e da Cortiça. FICOR - Feira Internacional da Cortiça. Coruche, Portugal. (Comunicação oral por convite)

Catry FX, Respício J, Branco M (2019). Monitoring the presence of different ambrosia beetle species in cork oak trees in central Portugal. In: Abstract Book of the 9th Meeting of the IOBC-WPRS working group ‘Integrated Protection in Oak Forests’, 27, Oeiras, Portugal. (oral presentation)  [Download]

Henriques J, Silva AC, Bragança H, Sousa E, Catry FX (2019). Fungi associated with the insect Xyleborus monographus in cork oak stands in Portugal. In: Abstract Book of the 9th Meeting of the IOBC-WPRS working group ‘Integrated Protection in Oak Forests’, 37, Oeiras, Portugal.  [Download]

Catry FX (2018). O sobreiro e o fogo: o que esperar após um incêndio. Conferência: Montado de sobro: meia hora sobre. FICOR – Feira Internacional da Cortiça. Coruche, Portugal. (Invited oral presentation).

Catry, F.X. (2017). Dinâmicas na recuperação de povoamentos florestais de sobreiro após incêndio. Workshop: O papel da gestão agroflorestal na prevenção e recuperação pós-fogo em montados, 23 November, Grândola, Portugal. (Invited oral presentation).

Catry, F.X., Branco, M., Sousa, E., Moreira, F., Rego, F., Cardoso, M. (2017). Presença e dinâmicas de insectos xilófagos em povoamentos florestais de sobreiro: efeitos do fogo e implicações para a gestão. Livro de Resumos do Seminário Pragas e Doenças Emergentes em Sistemas Florestais, 8 June, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Lisboa, Portugal, pp: 23-26. (Oral presentation). [Download]

Rego, F.C., Catry, F.X. (2017). Effects of fire and forest management in cork oak forest stands - Herdade dos Concelhos. EcoHCC17 - 4th International Conference on Ecohydrology, Soil and Climate Change, 21-23 September, Figueira da Foz, Portugal. (Invited oral presentation).

Catry, F.X., Branco, M., Cardoso, M., Inácio, V., Caetano, J., Castanheira, I., Rafael, A., Sousa, E. (2016). Bark and wood borer insects in cork oak forests after wildfire. Book of Abstracts of the World Congress Silvopastoral Systems 2016, 27-30 September, Évora, Portugal, pp: 119. (Oral presentation). [Download] 

Catry, F.X., Moreira, F., Rego, F., Branco, M., Sousa, E. (2014). Fire-induced bark beetle attacks in Mediterranean cork oak forests: which factors drive host selection? Abstracts of the International Conference on Mediterranean Ecosystems - Medecos XIII, 6-9 October, Olmué, Chile, pp: 117. (Poster). [Download] 

Training Courses:

Catry FX (2019). Effects of wildfires and forest management on cork and holm oak stands. Invitational training at the ‘Course on sustainable forest management in cork and holm oak stands: Post-fire management of oak stands' organized by the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests, I.P. (ICNF) under Interreg ProDehesa Montado. June 2019, Gavião, Portugal.

Social Networks:

Página do Projecto no ResearchGate  [LINK]