Introduction
The Mediterranean forest is equipped to handle fires. They are something we have to live with and at higher and higher temperatures. The low water reserves and low humidity, together with windy spells, heighten the risk. The cork oak is the best example of how the forest adapts to this disruption and in a few years (depending on the intensity of the fire) the forest may have a new structure. In the case of cork oaks, the insulating bark protects the buds which re-sprout once the fire has passed. The same thing happens with the bushes. Despite losing their top part, many of them can re-sprout from the trunk (if the intensity of the fire was low) or the roots (heather, strawberry trees). In others like rock-rose, the seeds will germinate again after the fire. Look at the way you can clearly distinguish the burnt cork from the new in these holm oaks. Further ahead, we see areas where the fire has been more intense. Some small holm oaks have died and a lot of clearings have formed in the forest. The shrub-like vegetation has disappeared giving way to rosemary, rock-rose and lavender, amongst others.