Tree species flammability based on plant traits: A synthesis

The occurrence of large and recurring forest fires has long been associated with fire-prone environments, but this perception has been shifted rapidly in recent decades as Earths' landscapes have become increasingly threatened by severe and unpredictable fires as a result of climate changes. In this regard, the flammability of trees is a topic of great interest for ecology, management, and the development of sustainable restoration and rehabilitation plans. Tree species differ in regard to flammability, and many plant functional traits contribute to flammability at species, community and vegetation level. The relationship between plant traits and flammability at species level is important for a broader understanding of the vegetation-fire dynamic at the local and landscape scales. This re-view summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding the impact of individual plant traits of tree species on flammability components. By keywords-based searching of academic databases, 85 research papers were collected and analyzed. The literature synthesis shows: i) main issues addressed in studies on plant trait-based tree flamma-bility, ii) general research output and biogeographic regions studied, iii) inventory of tree taxa investigated, iv) re-lationships between plant traits and flammability components, v) the most relevant plant traits that determine the flammability-related differences between species. (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

The flammability of trees is an important topic for ecology, management, and restoration plans, with different tree species exhibiting varying levels of flammability. Understanding the relationship between plant traits and flammability is crucial for comprehending vegetation-fire dynamics at different scales.