The FEVER project aims to study the resilience of Mediterranean forest ecosystems to fires. The main objective is to characterize different fire regimes and analyze their impacts on forest structure, plant diversity, and soil quality in the French Mediterranean region. By examining the frequency, intensity, and extent of fires, whether prescribed burns or wildfires, the project seeks to understand the influence of fire on vegetation regeneration, ecosystem resistance, and biodiversity across timescales ranging from a few decades to several millennia. The results will help better understand forest dynamics and post-fire regeneration mechanisms, providing crucial insights to maintain forest biodiversity in the long term.

The project's innovative approach is based on a multi-spatial and multi-temporal study, which allows for the analysis of fire effects on different Mediterranean forest types, such as Laricio pine, Holm oak, Downy oak, and Aleppo pine. The project will integrate several aspects: (i) the effects of repeated fires on vegetation combustibility in these four major forest types in southern France, (ii) soil responses (nutrient pools and nutrient cycling) after fire and the cumulative effects over long timescales, (iii) the influence of different forest formations on litter combustibility, and (iv) the short-and long-term consequences on the functional aspects of these ecosystems.

FEVER is a pioneering project that will enhance our understanding of fire-ecosystem interactions in Mediterranean forests. Through a combination of sedimentary data, remote sensing, and field and lab experiments, the project will provide crucial insights into the impacts of fire on soil, vegetation, and biodiversity. The project's findings will guide sustainable forest management strategies, supporting the resilience of Mediterranean forests in the face of increasing fire risks and climate change. The results of FEVER will be essential for policymakers, forest managers, and conservationists seeking to balance human activities and ecosystem preservation in fire-prone landscapes. The FEVER project has major economic and societal implications. It will provide essential data on the resilience of Mediterranean forests and their ability to adapt to fire disturbances. This information will contribute to sustainable forest management and fire risk reduction. The results will inform national and European strategies, such as the EU Forest Strategy 2021-2030, by supporting the preservation of vital ecosystem services like climate regulation and biodiversity conservation. FEVER will also promote the transition to more climate-resilient silvicultural practices by providing forest managers with a better understanding of ecological dynamics and fire-forest interactions.

FEVER project will address the critical need for research on the resilience of forest ecosystems to fire disturbances, contributing to the preservation of biodiversity, the sustainable management of forests, and the adaptation of Mediterranean socio-ecosystems to climate change. It will support the ambitions of national and European policies related to sustainable forest management and climate change mitigation while fostering closer collaboration between research, forest managers, and relevant socio-economic actors.