Distribution Patterns of Burned Areas in the Brazilian Biomes: An Analysis Based on Satellite Data for the 2002–2010 Period

Laerte Guimarães Ferreira,Fernando Moreira De Araújo,Arielle Elias Arantes

doi:10.3390/rs4071929

Laerte Guimarães Ferreira, Fernando Moreira De Araújo + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/rs4071929

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Journal: Remote Sensing	Publication Date: Jun 29, 2012
Citations: 100	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidade Federal de Goiás

Abstract

Fires modify the structure of vegetation communities, the carbon and water cycles, the soil’s chemistry, and affect the climate system. Within this context, this work aimed to understand the distribution patterns of burned areas in Brazil, during the period of 2002 to 2010, taking into consideration each one of the six Brazilian biomes (Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Pampa and Pantanal) and the respective major land cover classes. Data from the MODIS MCD45A1 product (burned area), as well as thermal anomalies (MOD14 and MYD14) and precipitation (TRMM), were analyzed according to the 2002 Brazilian official land cover and land use map (PROBIO). The Brazilian savanna biome, known as Cerrado, presented the largest concentration of burned areas detected by MODIS (73%), followed by the Amazon (14%), Pantanal (6%), Atlantic Forest (4%), Caatinga (3%), and Pampa (0,06%) biomes. Indeed, in the years of 2007 and 2010, 90% and 92% of Brazil’s burned areas were concentrated in the Cerrado and Amazon biomes, respectively. TRMM data indicated that during these two years there was a significant influence of La Niña, causing low rainfall in the Amazon, Cerrado, Caatinga, and Atlantic Forest biomes. Regarding the land cover classes, approximately 81% of the burned areas occurred over remnant vegetation areas. Although no unequivocal correlation can be established between burned areas and new land conversions, the conspicuous concentration of fire scars, particularly in Amazon–Cerrado transition (i.e., the Arc of Deforestation) is certainly not a simple coincidence. Such patterns and trends corroborate the need of improved territorial governance, in addition to the implementation of systematic fire warning and preventive systems.

Highlights

Fires, generally of anthropogenic origin, affect the distribution of global ecosystems by modifying the structure of vegetation communities and interfering with the reproduction and survival mechanisms of living species
For all the years considered, it is interesting to observe the concentration of burned areas in the Cerrado biome, was nearly 73%, followed by the Amazon biome (14%), and Pantanal (6%)
In this study, based on the use of the MODIS MCD45A1 product, we investigated the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of burned areas in Brazil, according to its six main ecological regions

Summary

Introduction

Generally of anthropogenic origin, affect the distribution of global ecosystems by modifying the structure of vegetation communities and interfering with the reproduction and survival mechanisms of living species. CO2 and aerosols anomalies can be attributed to the increase in fire activity during the 1997 and 1998 El Nino years. The rise of these gases, CO2, can induce stomatal closure, decreasing the transpiration of the canopy and the latent heat flow of the landscape [5]. The release of black carbon aerosols from biomass burning is the second most important factor impacting the climate system, as the increase in black carbon aerosols disturbs the atmospheric vertical wind circulation and hinders the formation of clouds, subsequently decreasing rainfall [7,8]. Fires, by inducing changes in the land cover and leaf area, cause both a reduction in the canopy evaporation and transpiration, as well as an increase in the soil evaporation, as a result of the greater incidence of sunlight

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