Combining community observations and remote sensing to examine the effects of roads on wildfires in the East Siberian boreal forest

Abstract

The paper is aimed at assessing the associations between the road networks geography and dynamics of wildfire events in the East Siberian boreal forest. We examined the relationship between the function of roads, their use, and management and the wildfire ignition, propagation and termination during the catastrophic fire season of 2016 in the Irkutsk Region of Russia. Document analysis and interviews were utilized to identify main forest users and road infrastructure functional types and examine wildfire management practices. We combined community observations and satellite remotely sensed data to assess relationships between the location, extent and timing of wildfires and different types of roads as fire sources, barriers, and suppression access points. Our study confirms a strong spatial relationship between the wildfire ignition points and roads differentiated by their types with the highest probability of fire ignition near forestry roads and the lowest near subsistence roads. Roads also play an important role in wildfire suppression working as both physical barriers and access points for firefighters. Our research illustrates the importance of local and Indigenous observations along the roads for monitoring and understanding wildfires, including ‘zombie fires’. It also has practical implications for fire management collectively developed by authorities and local communities.

Assessing Forest Road Network Suitability in Relation to the Spatial Occurrence of Wildfires in Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems

“…These findings align with the findings of other authors [55,60,61]. For example, Danilović et al [53] found that morphometric factors had an important role in forest road planning. However, the authors of the referenced study primarily focused their attention on analyzing the effects of slope and exposure of the terrain.…”

“…These results are in line with many studies, such as Kuklina et al [53] and Zambon et al [50], which considered the capacity of forest roads to provide accessibility within the forest in a dual way: both as an ignition source (e.g., arson) and as an essential support for fire suppression (e.g., delineation of potential firefighting operations).…”

“…Firstly, as the density of roads increases, so does the number of fire ignitions. However, road density can also decrease the number and size of fires, since high density means less potential fuel to ignite and spread [53]. The density of the road network also influences the timeframe between fire occurrence and detection.…”

Sustainability of Local Communities in a New Oil and Gas Region: The Case of Eastern Siberia

“…Additionally, of course, if production is declining, the local budget income is reduced. -Changes in transport and geographical locations through the development of a technological road network lead, on one hand, to new opportunities for remote communities, new routes, and improved accessibility, but on the other hand, there are new problems associated with large numbers of newcomers entering these areas and changes in the wildfire hazard situation in the boreal forest [74] (especially relevant to D, E, and F).…”