Post-wildfire Ecological Recovery in Hazarganji Chiltan National Park Balochistan

Abstract

Hazarganji Chiltan National Park is the second largest National Park of Balochistan, situated in the Mastung and Quetta districts, which encompasses approximately 27,421 hectares of mountain. In 2025, the national park experienced a significant wildfire event that burned through extensive areas of temperate vegetation, altering the surface of soil and the existing native community of vegetation. Post-fire monitoring following above-average precipitation in 2026 revealed an unexpected ecological response, with burned areas exhibiting significantly higher greenness, a higher density of seedlings, and significant floral diversity compared to nearby unburned sites, contradicting the expected negative outcomes for ecological balance. This study documents vegetation recovery following wildfire and examines the edaphic and ecological mechanisms associated with regeneration in burnt areas, and examines the relationship between soil modification and ecological transition caused by wildfires, precipitation that follows, and natural regeneration patterns. By using phytosociological approaches and assessments of soil physicochemical properties in paired burned and unburned plots, we demonstrated that remarkable natural regeneration after the fire was facilitated by the release of nutrients from fire, a reduction in competition from established vegetation, and the retention of improved soil moisture. These findings contribute to fire ecology management within the national park and suggest that short-term ecological responses to wildfire may vary under favorable climatic conditions.

Keywords: Edaphic factors; Hazarganji Chiltan National Park; Natural regeneration; Phytosociology; Pyrogeography; Soil nutrients; Vegetation recovery; Wildfire.