Eld som naturvårdare : Kärlväxtflora och vegetationsutveckling efter naturvårdsbränning i två småländska naturreservat

Sammanfattning: This study has taken place in two nature reserves in the municipality of Uppvidinge in the Kronoberg region in southern Sweden. These have been chosen by the County Administrative Board to be part of a bigger landscape of fire affected nature, and prescribed fire has been implemented in these. The areas are called Ösjöbol and Berga fly and have been burned 2012 and 2013 respectively. Non-burned areas have been inventoried as well. Vascular plants and mineral soil have been inventoried with the Hult-Sernander-Du Rietz scale of five levels.   Issues emanate from the County Administrative Board’s goals for prescribed fire: how sticks and herbs were affected, how much soil was uncovered, how the structure and fire favoured species were affected, and how deciduous trees and spruces (Picea abies) were affected.   The study shows that the soil increased, as well as the fire favoured species. The structure of species was changed to being more dominated by herbs than sticks. New spruces were not found, and no aspens (Populus tremula) grew on the fire site. Generally, the forest is more open and richer in number of species, but to maintain a continuously dynamic forest, more fires are needed.