prescribed-burning

1 article

Effects of restoration practices on biodiversity in temperate and boreal forests.

PubMed · 2026-05-14

A large review of 93 forest studies found that restoration practices like controlled burning, thinning, and adding dead wood generally boost biodiversity, but no single method helps all wildlife equally — and the long-term effects beyond 10 years remain largely unknown.

Across 93 studies, restoration practices had an overall positive effect on species richness and abundance, with the strongest benefits seen for plants and flying invertebrates.

Thinning and understory removal negatively affected birds, while prescribed burning had negative effects on bryophytes (mosses) and lichens.

83% of data points came from within 10 years of restoration start, leaving long-term (decade+) outcomes largely unstudied.

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