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Bases ecológicas para convivir con los incendios forestales en la Región Mediterránea: decálogo


En nuestra sociedad existe cierta tendencia a pensar que los incendios forestales son un desastre que hay que evitar a toda costa, ya que destruyen nuestros ecosistemas. Esta idea ha sido adoptada también por muchos gestores de montes y áreas protegidas. Sin embargo, los grandes presupuestos destinados a la extinción no parece que hayan conseguido detener los incendios, incluso en países con mayores recursos económicos que el nuestro, lo que hace dudar de la eficacia de estos programas y del paradigma sobre el que se asientan. Por otro lado, numerosas evidencias sugieren que los incendios forestales han existido desde muy antiguo y no tienen porqué suponer un desastre ecológico, si se mira a la escala apropiada. Esta nueva visión requiere un cambio de paradigma y la adaptación de éste a la gestión y restauración de nuestros ecosistemas. Con este objetivo, proponemos aquí 10 puntos que esperamos estimulen la discusión, y contribuyan a definir mejor las prioridades en la gestión de nuestros ecosistemas. (...)

J.G. Pausas y R. Vallejo (2008) Ecosistemas 17 (2)

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