Table 1 List and description of the structural and compositional vegetation variables (nine and four, respectively) examined in burnt and unburnt transects at 12 sites located in north-western Africa

Canopy

Measured using a convex spherical densitometer in each quadrat

Tree height

Average height (m) of the tallest tree estimated from 100 10 × 10 m quadrats per transect

Tree^a, shrubs, grass, bare ground, litter, and rock cover

Average percentage cover estimated from 100 10 × 10 m quadrats per transect

Simpson diversity (STR)

Calculated from the percentage of all vegetation and ground cover types

Number of plants^a

Recorded at each transect

PC1 and PC2

Axes of the principal component analysis based on the cover of each plant species estimated at each transect

Simpson index (SP)

Calculated from the cover of each plant species estimated at each transect