Pinus yunnanensis is a fire-adapted species widely distributed in China. To control wildfires, managers typically implement complete fire exclusion policies in Pinus yunnanensis forests; however, such practices compromise forest ecological health. Therefore, we investigated prescribed burning as a means to promote vegetation regeneration, improve forest spatial structure, and achieve ecological management in Pinus yunnanensis forests. We delineated three fire-treatment regimes: sites burned annually, sites burned at 6-year intervals (with prescribed burns conducted in 2012 and 2018), and unburned sites. Within each regime, we established three 20 m × 30 m plots. We then compared the effects of annual burning and 6-year interval burning on forest structure and species composition. Our results revealed that: (1) prescribed burning effectively reduces surface fuel loads; (2) prescribed burning at 6-year intervals significantly increases shrub layer abundance, with vegetation recovering to heights and canopy area comparable to control areas (no burning) within six years—moreover, stand crowdedness and species mingling in 6-year interval burn sites significantly exceed those in unburned areas, indicating superior forest health; (3) annual burning severely depletes shrub layer communities, resulting in poorer canopy closure and species mingling compared to unburned areas. These findings demonstrate that 6-year interval prescribed burning can regulate fuel loads while sustaining Pinus yunnanensis forest ecological health and promoting development toward healthier conditions. This research illustrates how prescribed burning can enhance vegetation regeneration and improve spatial structure in fire-adapted forests, providing forest researchers and managers with a novel management strategy for balancing fire risk mitigation and ecological sustainability in fire-dependent forest systems.
Hong et al. (Sun,) studied this question.