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Fire is an integral part of many ecosystems, including the Mediterranean ones. However, in recent decades the general trend in number of fires and surface burnt in European Mediterranean areas has increased spectacularly. This increase is due to: (a) land-use changes (rural depopulation is increasing land abandonment and consequently, fuel accumulation); and (b) climatic warming (which is reducing fuel humidity and increasing fire risk and fire spread). The main effects of fire on soils are: loss of nutrients during burning and increased risk of erosion after burning. The latter is in fact related to the regeneration traits of the previous vegetation and to the environmental conditions. The principal regeneration traits of plants are: capacity to resprout after fire and fire stimulation of the establishment of new individuals. These two traits give a possible combination of four functional types from the point of view of …