A study on the natural and social causes of forest fires in Poland

Ubysz, Barbara; Szczygieł, Ryszard

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2006.08.029

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Ignition Density: Its Relation to Fire Causes and Fuel Dynamics Historical fires in Białowieża Forest occurred at frequencies exceeding frequency of lightning-caused ignitions (H3), since the number of fires we recorded exceeded the present day natural background level of ignition by a factor of 10-100, when compared with data on lightning ignition frequencies from Poland, Germany, and Latvia (Sannikov and Goldammer, 1996;Ubysz and Szczygieł, 2006;Szczygieł et al, 2016;Brackhane et al, 2021). The sizes of the largest fires, given that they originate from one or few ignitions, have implications on calculations of the ignition density on the landscape and hence, on the interpretation of the possible fire causes -whether they are caused by lightning or by people (Niklasson and Granström, 2000).…”

Section: Fire Activitymentioning

confidence: 83%

“…The role of fire in affecting the dynamics of temperate European forests has received limited attention in the past (Walter, 1968;Faliński, 1986;Ellenberg, 1996). Insufficient empirical data on past fire disturbances, a negligible influence of lightning ignition upon modern fire activity (Ubysz and Szczygieł, 2006;Szczygieł et al, 2016;Brackhane et al, 2021), and consideration of European temperate zone as Nomenclature: Mirek et al (2002) for vascular plants; Ochyra et al (2003) for bryophytes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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First Spatial Reconstruction of Past Fires in Temperate Europe Suggests Large Variability of Fire Sizes and an Important Role of Human-Related Ignitions

et al. 2022

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The spatial component of past forest fires in temperate Europe has been little studied, despite the value of such data in quantifying human and natural factors driving fire activity and associated forest dynamics. Changes in fire regimes reported across a range of ecosystems call for a better understanding of variability in historic fires and may help define reference points that can be relied upon when discussing climate change effects. We provide the first dendrochronological reconstruction of historical fire sizes in Central Europe and analyze the minimum extent of fires during the last four centuries in a 9.2 km2 (920 ha) conifer-dominated section of Białowieża Forest, one of the largest continuous lowland forests of the subcontinent. We recorded 82 fires between 1666 and 1946, using 275 sample trees, while 92% of fires (76 out of 82) spread beyond the studied area. Fires varied considerably in size, from events recorded at only one site (1–200 ha) to fires recorded in more than half of the studied area, thus exceeding 500 ha in size. The fire cycle was 11 years over the whole study period, with three distinct periods revealed by the regime shift analysis. In the years 1670–1750, the fire cycle averaged 12 years. It shortened to 7 years between 1755–1840 and increased to 22 years over the 1845–1955 period. In comparison with present day data, the reconstructed fire density of 3.2 fires per 100 km2 (10 000 ha) and year exceeded lightning ignition density by one to two orders of magnitude, suggesting a significant contribution of human-related ignitions. Our results highlight the important role of fire disturbance in Białowieża Forest and provide critical baseline information to design biological conservation strategies for European forests.

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Section: Fire Activitymentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First Spatial Reconstruction of Past Fires in Temperate Europe Suggests Large Variability of Fire Sizes and an Important Role of Human-Related Ignitions

et al. 2022

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“…In the case of high wind speed, the fire front rapidly changes direction and gets out of control, becoming health-and life-threatening to people and causing damage to building objects. In ground fires, the fire itself is not high, usually reaching several centimeters to 2 m. In such cases, the fire propagates in all directions, with the fire front moving fastest in the direction where the wind blows [26]. The fire area is usually ellipse-shaped.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Significance of Urban Vegetation on Lawns Regarding the Risk of Fire

et al. 2021

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Urban green infrastructure significantly influences the functioning of a city and the comfort of its residents. Lawns are an essential element of public greenery. They represent a live component, and if they are lacking, of low quality, or neglected, this will cause major problems in the urban environment. The vegetation structure of urban grassy areas changes under the influence of different management methods used for their maintenance. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the species diversity of urban lawns and to determine the influence of this vegetation on factors based on the representation of the species found. Three sites with urban lawns were chosen in a built-up city area where different types of vegetation management were applied: Typical management, in which grassy areas are mowed twice a year; intensive management, in which lawns are mowed several times a year and the biomass is removed; and extensive management, in which lawns are mowed irregularly, once a year at most, and the biomass is left unevenly on the site. Extensive management and unkempt urban grassy areas represent a high risk of fire due to the presence of plant species that produce great amounts of biomass. Combined with dry and warm weather, the dead biomass can lead to outbreaks of fire. Extensive management of urban grassy areas brings some benefits, such as lower maintenance costs and increased biodiversity and bioretention. On the other hand, intensive management reduces the risk of fire and the biodiversity of the plant community. Attention should be paid to the composition of vegetative species and their functions that could threaten the safety of residents, with the risk of fire being one of them. However, the vegetation biomass of grassy areas affected by management practices is only a precondition for the risk of fire because weather and drought occurrence play important roles as well.

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