Spatial-temporal of fire foci in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Góis, Givanildo de; Freitas, Welington Kiffer de; Júnior, José Francisco de Oliveira

doi:10.14393/bj-v36n3a2020-47769

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 21 publications

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“…Fires do not occur randomly across the LULC types of a given landscape; instead, their occurrence and spread are determined by a complex interplay of human actions and natural phenomena (Brando et al, 2016;Fonseca et al, 2019;Le Page et al, 2017;Pivello, 2011). In tropical forests, most fires are caused by humans as a result of using fire to clear or expand agricultural areas (da Silva Junior et al, 2020;Gois et al, 2020;Oliveira-Júnior et al, 2020). Fire propagation through the landscape is influenced by wind, topography, vegetation structure, moisture content, composition of fuel loads (Carmo et al, 2011;Moreira et al, 2009;Oliveira et al, 2014;Silva et al, 2009), and factors impacting firefighting efforts (de Assis Barros et al, 2022;Gutiérrez-Velez et al, 2014;Pivello et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relative fire-proneness of land cover types in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Adorno,

Piratelli,

Hasui

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Fires have long posed a global problem, but they are now increasingly affecting tropical biomes where landscape-fire interactions remain understudied. We investigate the fire-proneness of different land use and land cover types (LULCs) within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (AF), one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots, experiencing increased fire frequency due to human activities and climate change. Using a selection ratio-based approach, we analyzed fire-LULC interactions in 40,128 fires over a 35-year period (1987-2022) across various vegetational regions in the AF, evaluating the relative fire-proneness of different LULCs in a tropical biome for the first time. Our findings revealed that secondary forests, forest areas that have regrown after major disturbances, burned 61% more than expected by chance, whereas old-growth forests, native forests that have developed over very long periods, burned 57% less than expected, highlighting a nearly inverse relationship in their fire-proneness. Interestingly, our data indicate that pastures in the AF are less prone to fire than expected, despite being considered among the land uses that burn the most in Brazil. Other LULCs showed variable fire-proneness, with some differences between vegetational regions. Over time, the fire-proneness of secondary forests decreased, likely due to forest maturation and changes in land management practices. We emphasize the necessity for tailored fire management strategies that address the unique vulnerabilities of secondary forests, particularly in the context of ongoing restoration efforts aimed at increasing native forests. Effective measures, including the implementation of fire-smart management practices and enhancing the perceived value of secondary forests among local communities, are crucial for mitigating fire risks. Integrating these strategies with incentive-based approaches can bolster fire prevention, ensuring the long-term success of restoration programs. Our study provides a framework for understanding fire-landscape dynamics in tropical forests and offers actionable insights for practitioners working to safeguard these biomes from the escalating threat of wildfires.

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