摘要：In the Mediterranean region, fire is a natural factor, which contributes in the shaping of landscape and the preservation of a high degree of biodiversity. However, often repeated burning has negative impacts on the forested landscapes. When the processes of natural or artificial regeneration are efficient and the fire frequency is sufficiently low to enable the recovery of vegetation, recovery time T can be used as a tool for setting priorities for the preservation of ecological and social functions of the forested landsapes. Using a simple linear approach, we argue that their situation can be considered as acceptable, when the percentage of the yearly burned area in relation to the total forested area is much lower than 100/T (for practical purposes just lower than 10/T). This empirical rule was applied to the Greek forested landscapes. In the case of pine forests of Pinus halepensis and Pinus brutia, it was found that the condition implied by the rule was not satisfied and, therefore, a reduction of the yearly burned areas of these lowland conifer forests is necessary. However, as far as the other types of forests, as well as macchia and phrygana are concerned, the condition is satisfied.
