Deadwood and fire risk in Europe
This report addresses the contribution of deadwood to the risk of forest fires. Deadwood is considered a biodiversity indicator in forest ecosystems. Understanding its link with fire risk is necessary to inform current policy discussions between the European Commission and Member States in both the Nature Restoration law and EU Forest policy.
Based on general knowledge on fire behaviour, it is likely that in most conditions deadwood is not significantly contributing to fire risk. This has discouraged fire scientists from conducting experimental studies. If deadwood is extremely abundant or if its presence influences abundance of other fuels, such as attached branches and leaves, experimental studies could quantify its role on fire risk and enable later more in-depth analysis of the role of deadwood for biodiversity and in defining fire risk focused on European bioregions and forest types.