Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Forest Fires in Poland and Consequences for Fire Protection Systems: Seeking a Balance between Efficiency and Costs

Kolanek, Aleksandra; Szymanowski, Mariusz; Małysz, Michał

doi:10.3390/su152416829

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Both lead to a number of environmental consequences, such as 6-17% of global CO 2 emissions [10][11][12], soil erosion, wildlife habit loss, reduction in biodiversity, etc. [1,13]. Global Forest Watch estimates that 459 Mha of forest was deforested worldwide between 2001 and 2022, equivalent to a 12% decline in tree cover since 2000 (www.globalforestwatch.org, accessed on 24 February 2024).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Forest Cover of Municipalities in Poland in 1990–2018

Kociuba,

Gawrysiak,

Kociuba

2024

Sustainability

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The study is part of the trend of searching for research methods to demonstrate changes in forest cover at the level of basic units of public administration with greater precision and accuracy. The purpose of the article is to present, for the first time, changes in forest cover of municipalities in Poland from 1990 to 2018 using CORINE Land Cover (CLC) data. The contributions of this study are threefold. Firstly, using GIS and CLC data (3.1. Forests), multivariate analyses of forest cover changes were carried out for 2481 municipalities for the CLC data collection years (1990, 2000, 2006, 2012, 2018), which showed the temporal and spatial dynamics of changes, with a predominance of deforestation in 1990–2000 and 2012–2018, and afforestation in 2000–2006 and 2006–2012. Secondly, the formal, legal and financial rationale for these changes was indicated. The increase in afforestation was a result of financial incentives under the National Program for Increasing Forest Cover and the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (under Rural Development Programs—RDPs). Deforestation was related to a decrease in the supply of land for afforestation, the competitiveness of subsidies implemented under RDPs, and statutory liberalization of logging. Thirdly, the main discrepancies between the data obtained from CLC and from the public data collected by Statistics Poland (GUS) and the State Forests were indicated, which ranged from −32 kha to +310 kha, corresponding to percentage differences of 2.3% and 1.8%, respectively. This was mainly influenced by the differences in the complexity and updating of data collected for state and private forests, as well as delays in introducing changes to the land register by the public administration. This work contributes significantly to our understanding of the dynamics of forest cover changes in relation to the actual degree of forestation and deforestation, and the determinants of forest transformation in Polish municipalities, as well as demonstrating the new applicability of CLC data and their limitations related mainly to the generalization of forest cover area.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Forest Cover of Municipalities in Poland in 1990–2018

Kociuba,

Gawrysiak,

Kociuba

2024

Sustainability

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“…Forest fires represent one of the most critical issues in the field of natural disasters in the modern era [1,2]. The alarming increase of wildfires over the past decades has led to severe consequences for forest ecosystems and human infrastructure, an exacerbation of climate change, and even the loss of human lives [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimal Allocation of Water Reservoirs for Sustainable Wildfire Prevention Planning via AHP-TOPSIS and Forest Road Network Analysis

Arabatzis,

Kolkos,

Stergiadou

et al. 2024

Sustainability

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The sustainable management of forest ecosystems is directly linked to the management of forest fires. The increasing occurrence of wildfires has prompted the need for the establishment of infrastructure aimed at addressing them. The placement of anti-fire water reservoirs can address the lack of water intake points. This study introduces a decision support system (DSS) tailored for the optimal allocation of anti-fire water reservoirs in Mediterranean forest ecosystems, ensuring a reliable water supply for firefighting operations. The methodology integrates the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the technique of order of preference by similarity to ideal solutions (TOPSIS) methods, facilitating precise location determination through comprehensive criteria analysis. Additionally, the analysis of the forest road network is incorporated to optimize the placement of water reservoirs. In the forest complex of Taxiarchis, Chalkidiki, Greece, 100 potential reservoir sites were identified and prioritized based on factors such as fire risk, proximity to existing water sources, and coverage area using optimal pathways. The study’s findings demonstrate that by establishing 34 water reservoirs, firefighting forces can access a replenishment point within a 5-min travel time. The conclusions underscore the efficacy of this methodology as a valuable decision-making tool for sustainable wildfire prevention planning. This approach contributes to allocating resources judiciously, effectively mitigating the wildfire risk in Mediterranean forest ecosystems, and therefore promoting sustainability.

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Impact of climate changes on agroresources of Ukrainian Polissia based on geospatial data

Tarariko,

Cruse,

Ilienko

et al. 2024

Agric. sci. pract.

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Aim. To determine the patterns of the climate change impact on the transformation of agricultural production and the ecosystem of Ukrainian Polissia in terms of time and space. Methods. Satellite and statistical data for the last 40 years (1982–2022) were used. The mean temperature for the vegetation period was defined by the sum of radiation temperatures of the terrestrial surface, calculated using the data of the infrared range (10.3–11.3; 11.4–12.4 μm) of the high-precision AVHRR radiometer of artificial meteorological Earth's satellites, NOAA, and the precipitation dynamics – using the data of ERA5 ECMWF/Copernicus Climate Change Service. The impact of climate change on the vegetation state and phenological parameters, including the beginning, end, and duration of the vegetation season, was determined by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), obtained using the data of the infrared (0.72–1.1 μm) and red (0.58–0.68 μm) ranges of the AVHRR radiometer on the website of STAR NESDIS NOAA. Crop yields and the dynamics of sown areas were determined by the data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine. The information about the dynamics of the forest cover was obtained using the Global Forest Watch satellite data. To evaluate the impact of climate change on Ukraine's forests, the investigation was conducted on burnt forest areas, using the MCD64A1 6.1 index, developed on the basis of the MODIS satellite data. Results. According to the satellite data, the radiation temperature of the terrestrial surface during the growing period increased by 2.2 ºС on average in the territory of Ukrainian Polissia over the last 40 years. There is a regional difference in the temperature regime observed in the direction from west to east. In the territory of western Polissia, the increase in the temperature of the terrestrial surface in recent decades was within the range of 1.2–1.6, and in the central and eastern parts – within 2.3–2.9 ºС. Due to the warming, the duration of the growing period was extended by 21–35 days, mostly because of earlier spring onset. There is a descending trend in the average annual precipitation amount down to 20–30 mm, which is especially notable for central and eastern Polissia. The warming was the reason for the introduction of the crops, new for this region, into the structure of sown areas, especially corn and sunflower, which had a generally positive effect on the vegetation state by the NDVI index, which increased from 0.30 in 1982–1992 to 0.36 in 2012–2022 on average. The crop yield increased accordingly, and according to the statistical data for the recent years, amounted to: corn – 7.0–9.5 t/ha, winter wheat – 4.5–5.0, and sunflower – 1.5–2.0 t/ha, which is close to the level of their yield on chornozem. At the same time, due to climate change and the transformation of agricultural activity, there has been a higher risk of deterioration in the ecological state of typical Polissia landscapes, droughts, and soil degradation. According to the results of the analysis of twenty-two years of the dynamics in forest fires, the largest areas of burnt forests were registered in 2012 (694.30 sq.km), 2015 (1,078.81 sq.km), and 2020 (776.27 sq.km), which demonstrated the increase in fires during the recent decade along with the tendency towards longer fire hazard period. Conclusions. The increase in the temperature of the terrestrial surface of the Ukrainian Polissia during the growing period and the lengthening of the growing period created the conditions for corn and sunflower to be introduced into the arable areas, which had a positive impact on the vegetation state index, NDVI. As a result of these transformations both in the sown area of these crops and their yield, Polissia is becoming a new grain-oil belt of Ukraine. Concurrently, there are higher risks associated with maintaining high performance of agroecosystems and the increase in the risks for soil degradation processes, the deterioration of the ecological state of wetlands and forests, as well as drying-out of small rivers and lakes. Balancing the high yield of modern agroecosystems and safe nature management requires systemic measures in adapting the agricultural activity and nature management to new climatic conditions, which requires implementing the management of soil, water, and bio-resources, achieving optimal parameters of fertility for mineral and peaty-swampy soils. Reconstructing current land reclamation systems to optimize water regimes for the agricultural lands and protect typical Polissia ecosystem is needed.

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Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Forest Fires in Poland and Consequences for Fire Protection Systems: Seeking a Balance between Efficiency and Costs

Cited by 3 publications

References 32 publications

Changes in Forest Cover of Municipalities in Poland in 1990–2018

Changes in Forest Cover of Municipalities in Poland in 1990–2018

Optimal Allocation of Water Reservoirs for Sustainable Wildfire Prevention Planning via AHP-TOPSIS and Forest Road Network Analysis

Impact of climate changes on agroresources of Ukrainian Polissia based on geospatial data

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