Patch-mosaic burning: a new paradigm for savanna fire management in protected areas?

Abstract

The shift in ecological thinking, from equilibrium to non-equilibrium processes has been accompanied by a move to encourage heterogeneity rather than homogeneity in landscapes. Spatial and temporal heterogeneity is thought to be a major source of biotic diversity, and disturbances such as fire, producing heterogeneity are now recognised as being important. A patch-mosaic system of burning is based on the premise that fire pattern is a surrogate for diversity, and produces a range of patches in the landscape with unique patch characteristics and fire histories. A patch-mosaic system of burning is supported historically and empirically through field studies. However, there is a need for more research into the effects of various aspects of patch and fire variables on biotic diversity, especially in savannas where our understanding is particularly poor. Landscape-scale experiments, like those to be established in the Kruger National Park, South Africa are necessary to test different burning regimes. Challenges to patch- mosaic burning include determining the 'natural' range of variation for fire parameters, implementing random ignitions, and cost-effective fire scar mapping at the appropriate resolution. An adaptive management approach should be adopted to deal with the ignorance and uncertainties that characterise the management of savanna ecosystems. This should be applied with both modelling and monitoring as key elements in this process

Aboriginal hunting buffers climate-driven fire-size variability in Australia’s spinifex grasslands

“…This research expands upon our previous work (13,29) supporting the notion that patch mosaic burning by Aboriginal hunters enhances biodiversity through pyrodiversity, increasing vegetational diversity at small spatial scales by manipulating plant succession (30,31). We show that, contrary to the common assumption that climate controls fire size and that Aboriginal ignitions can only cause more extensive fire spread in dry years, Martu hunting fires mediate climate-driven effects on fire size.…”

Living on a flammable planet: interdisciplinary, cross-scalar and varied cultural lessons, prospects and challenges

“…They may reduce the frequency or spread of unintended lightning fires, and may increase landscape diversity by creating smaller-scale vegetation mosaics through pyric succession [12,29,[57][58][59][60][61]. Anthropogenic fire regimes also may buffer against unpredictable climate-driven changes in fire behaviour and create ecological stability in the face of non-equilibrium vegetation dynamics [38,60].…”

Indigenous Fire Management in the cerrado of Brazil: The Case of the Krahô of Tocantíns

“…In fact, fire was used throughout the dry season, starting from the early dry season when grasses were cured sufficiently to burn but the climate and fuel conditions did not propagate large-scale fires. As the dry season progressed further fires were set, but although the climate and fuel conditions became more conducive to intensive fires, the previous small-scale fires had produced a mosaic of burned patches in the landscape that deterred larger fires from occurring, termed a "patch-mosaic fire regime" (Parr and Brockett, 1999). Native Americans used this strategy to keep the forests open, protect fruits, and prevent conflagrations (Anderton, 1999;Boyd, 1999;Vale, 2002), as did the Australian Aborigines (Haynes, 1985(Haynes, , 1991Lewis, 1989;Russell-Smith et al, 1997a).…”