Landscape-based fire scenarios and fire types in the Ayllón massif (Central Mountain Range, Spain), 19th and 20th centuries

Abstract

Wildfires have been a major landscape disturbance factor throughout history in inland mountain areas of Spain. This paper aims to understand the interaction of fire regimes and landscape dynamics during the last two centuries within a socio-spatial context. The study area selected for this historical and spatial analysis is the Ayllón massif, in the Central Mountain Range. The theoretical background used to identify the driving forces of fire regime changes over the 19th and 20th centuries in this mountain area includes landscape-based fire scenarios and fire-type concepts. Both concepts have been addressed in recent studies from a spatial planning and fire management approach in an attempt to understand current fire landscapes and wildfire risk. However, this is the first time that these concepts have been applied to show that both spatial and temporal scales are crucial for an understanding of the current wildfire panorama, and that fire history related to landscape dynamics is fundamental in socio-spatial differences in fire regimes.Four variables (fire history, land use, population and settlement system, and forest management) were assessed to define historical landscape-based fire scenarios, and three fire feature variables (fire extent, fire cause, and spatial distribution pattern) were considered to define historical fire-types. We found that the non-linear evolution of fire regimes during the 19th and 20th centuries was determined by fire-type changes according to landscape dynamics. Moreover, population and forest management have been the main driving forces of fire regime tipping points or pyrotransitions. This study validates the hypothesis that fire regime changes are the result of the interaction of fire history and landscape dynamics.

Fine-tuning the BFOLDS Fire Regime Module to support the assessment of fire-related functions and services in a changing Mediterranean mountain landscape

“…In this regard, it is important to ensure that the data used in the parameterization of model spatial inputs has the best quality possible in terms of spatial and thematic resolution to describe dynamics accurately since they affect modelling and simulation of landscape fire processes (Saura, 2002;Taneja et al, 2021;Turner and Gardner, 2015). On the other hand, although our indicators did not show a clear effect of the spatial weighting pattern based on historical fire ignition records on model outputs (see Table 1), similar to other studies (Bar Massada et al, 2011;Perera et al, 2009), we consider that applying this information to fire simulations may be relevant, particularly in the context of mountains in the Mediterranean region since fire ignition patterns in these areas are influenced by the use of fire as a management tool (Catry et al, 2009;Sequeira et al, 2020). Our results suggest that the quality of spatial data inputs is important since it affects the model outputs.…”

Landscape Planning Integrated Approaches to Support Post-Wildfire Restoration in Natural Protected Areas: The Vesuvius National Park Case Study

“…PA ordinary management and planning are complex processes due to the time and spatial scales involved, as well as the diversity and interconnection of effects and the number of stakeholders involved [29]. According to the forest landscape restoration approach, promoted by the IUCN and WWF International [30], integrated approaches must be implement [31][32][33] considering the ecological processes at the landscape level as a whole. Among the landscape planning methodologies, the MultiCriteria Analysis (MCA) is considered to be an appropriate approach to examine the impact of different policy options relevant for natural resources and environmental management [34][35][36].…”

“…These branches represent the supporting or limiting conditions, respectively, referring to the specific objective improvement. The criteria were selected based on IUCN objectives for the National Parks Category [26] and according to the completeness, decomposability and operational ability requirements [33,35,[85][86][87]. Then, based on data availability, the proposed set of criteria was defined based on to the non-redundancy and minimalism requirements for each objective, and with the support of the panel of experts.…”