Fire Control Research Articles

Using Sentinel-2 Imagery to Measure Spatiotemporal Changes and Recovery across Three Adjacent Grasslands with Different Fire Histories

As a result of the advocacy of Indigenous communities and increasing evidence of the ecological importance of fire, California has invested in the restoration of intentional burning (the practice of deliberately lighting low-severity fires) in an effort to reduce the occurrence and severity of wildfires. Recognizing the growing need to monitor the impacts of these smaller, low-severity fires, we leveraged Sentinel-2 imagery to reveal important inter- and intra-annual variation in grasslands before and after fires. Specifically, we explored three methodological approaches: (1) the complete time series of the normalized burn ratio (NBR), (2) annual summary metrics (mean, fifth percentile, and amplitude of NBR), and (3) maps depicting spatial patterns in these annual NBR metrics before and after fire. We also used a classification of pre-fire vegetation to stratify these analyses by three dominant vegetation cover types (grasses, shrubs, and trees). We applied these methods to a unique study area in which three adjacent grasslands had diverging fire histories and showed how grassland recovery from a low-severity intentional burn and a high-severity wildfire differed both from each other and from a reference site with no recent fire. On the low-severity intentional burn site, our results showed that the annual NBR metrics recovered to pre-fire values within one year, and that regular intentional burning on the site was promoting greater annual growth of both grass and shrub species, even in the third growing season following a burn. In the case of the high-severity wildfire, our metrics indicated that this grassland had not returned to its pre-fire phenological signals in at least three years after the fire, indicating that it may be undergoing a longer recovery or an ecological shift. These proposed methods address a growing need to study the effects of small, intentional burns in low-biomass ecosystems such as grasslands, which are an essential part of mitigating wildfires.

Forest Fire Prediction: A Spatial Machine Learning and Neural Network Approach

The study of forest fire prediction holds significant environmental and scientific importance, particularly in regions like South Carolina (SC) with a high incidence rate of forest fires. Despite the limited existing research on forest fires in this area, the application of machine learning and neural network techniques presents an opportunity to enhance forest fire prevention and control efforts. Utilizing data of forest fire from the SC Forestry Commission for the year 2023, prediction models were developed incorporating various factors such as meteorology, terrain, vegetation, and infrastructure—key drivers of forest fires in SC. Feature importance analysis was employed to construct the final fire prediction model using different machine learning and neural network approaches including Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), Logistic Regression (LR), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Correlation coefficients analysis was employed to construct the final fire hazard map using a correlation test. The evaluation of predictive performance based on accuracy scores revealed that the DT model achieved the highest accuracy of 90.58%, surpassing other models. However, based on the kernel density map of the fire data from 2000 to 2023, the correlation test gave the better fire hazard map compared to any other machine learning or neural network approach that utilized feature importance. Nonetheless, all models achieved prediction accuracies exceeding 80%. This finding directed us to the approach based on the correlation coefficients rather than to those just based on feature importance. The overlap between fire locations and carbon hotspots provided the immediate need to mitigate the carbon loss due to fire in those locations. These results serve as a valuable resource for forest fire prediction in SC, demonstrating the efficacy of the correlation test, providing a theoretical foundation and data support for future forestry applications in the region, and showing the outperforming capability of this method compared to other approaches based on feature importance and the importance to prioritize areas to mitigate the climate change impact based upon fire prediction.

Combat work of firing artillery units in modern armed conflicts

The article reveals the structure of the control system of artillery units, considers the way so fire control of artillery units in armed conflicts during the five-day war in Transcaucasia in 2008, Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020, during the Special Military Operation in Ukraine in 2022 and the if impaction the effectiveness of artillery use. Modern reconnaissance means, reconnaissance-fire and strike complexes, their capabilities in fire control are presented, the actions of artillery units in the performance of fire control tasks represented.

Advance in Detection and Management for Underground Coal Fires: A Global Technological Overview

ABSTRACT The ongoing spontaneous combustion of coal seams beneath the earth’s surface leads to the exhaustion of nonrenewable resources and poses a substantial threat to environmental integrity. Precise and efficacious monitoring of subsurface coal fire activities is an indispensable precondition for the prevention and management of coalfield conflagrations, as well as for the exploitation of geothermal energy resources. The accurate detection and localization of covert coal fires depend on the procurement and analytical assessment of distribution data for parameters that are intrinsically linked to the activities associated with coal combustion. To this end, our review work investigated the theoretical foundations, application effects, and inherent limitations of the diverse detection techniques currently available. It has been observed that the ambiguities inherent to individual detection tools can be effectively mitigated through the cross validation of findings derived from multiple detection tools. The role of detection tools can be extended to the entire process of coal fire management, yet the distinct contributions of each tool throughout the various stages of the process warrant further investigation and elucidation. In addition, the potential of emerging technologies such as machine learning algorithms and 5 G networks to promote automation and intelligence in coal fire management work was also discussed. It is our hope that the insights presented herein will serve as a valuable resource for policymakers and stakeholders in the formulation of effective strategies for the prevention and control of coalfield fires.

Simulation Study on Temperature Control Performance of Lithium-Ion Battery Fires by Fine Water Mist in Energy Storage Stations.

The combustion of lithium-ion batteries is characterized by fast ignition, prolonged duration, high combustion temperature, release of significant energy, and generation of a large number of toxic gases. Fine water mist has characteristics such as a high fire extinguishing efficiency and environmental friendliness. In order to thoroughly investigate the temperature control effect of fine water mist on lithium-ion battery fires. This study employs numerical simulation methods, utilizing PyroSim software to simulate the fire process in lithium-ion battery energy storage compartments. First, we focus on the variation patterns of flame, changes in combustion temperature, and heat release rate over time at environmental temperatures of 10, 25, and 35 °C. Subsequently, the suppression of flame, reduction in temperature, and changes in heat release rate are simulated for water mist in lithium-ion battery fires. The simulation results indicate that the environmental temperature has a considerable impact on the flame but a lesser effect on the heat release rate. Fine water mist effectively impedes the spread of thermal runaway between internal battery core cells, leading to a reduction in the flame size and a significant decrease in the maximum temperature and heat release rate. The numerical simulation results can provide scientific guidance for the prevention and control of fires in lithium-ion battery energy storage compartments.

Koala density, habitat, conservation, and response to logging in eucalyptus forest; a review and critical evaluation of call monitoring

ABSTRACT This study is the second in a series that examines the habitat requirements and response to logging of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) inhabiting tall eucalypt forests of north-east NSW. It presents the findings of koala population and habitat monitoring surveys in Pine Creek State Forest and Bongil Bongil National Park using a combination of call-counting and direct observation (spotlighting). The 6400 ha study area was mapped into 6 zones of increasing koala habitat quality by ground survey of forest structure and floristics on a 200 m grid. The accuracy of habitat definition and mapping was tested by stratified transect counts of koala calls and sightings over two consecutive years (1997–98). Average koala density increased steeply and significantly, from 0.02 – 0.20 koalas/hectare, with increasing mapped habitat quality based on increasing forest age, structural complexity, local food tree species diversity, history of prior koala occurrence and decreased past logging intensity. This relationship was driven primarily by breeding females, with the number of male koala calls weakly or uncorrelated with koala sightings and mapped habitat quality. Male koalas were more widely and uniformly distributed than females, including areas of low quality, plantation, and intensively logged forest. This finding explains the discrepancy between our results and those of other recent studies which concluded that koalas are tolerant of intensive logging based on modelling of calling male koalas and reliance on an untested assumption that male calling is indicative of female breeding success. Koala density in a subset of the highest quality habitat was relatively stable at 0.28 koalas/ha (3 hectares/koala) over the long term (1997–98 and 2012–2023). Key characteristics of the forest koala population, including low stable density, large home ranges, preference for high food tree diversity and locally unique food trees (including Allocasuarina torulosa and Syncarpia glomulifera), are not adequately explained by existing koala habitat models. We present a new paradigm to explain regional variation in koala distribution, habitat and foraging preferences based on variations in foliage chemistry (toxicity and nutritional value) determined by the duration and stability of local plant-koala interactions in response to past fire, hunting, predation and logging disturbance history. We hypothesize that koala density in stable forest populations is regulated at low levels by a combination of selected and induced increases in leaf toxicity and decreases in leaf nutrition that limit koala browsing to benign levels of about 1-2% of annual leaf production. Large home ranges, complex mature forest structure, high food tree diversity and a specialized or diverse gut microbiome may be essential to allow females to rotate and change food trees frequently to minimize induced toxicity and select individual leaves with sufficient nutrients to support breeding and lactation with minimal risk of predation. High density koala populations (> 0.6/ha) occur primarily in areas where koalas have been introduced or re-introduced to planted habitats and natural areas where aboriginal hunters and dingoes were historically present but are now absent, and where food trees have not been selected for resistance to koala browsing pressure.

Fire season matters for midstory hardwood control: Impacts of fire season and firing technique on plant communities

In the southeastern USA, lack of historical fire regimes often leads to hardwood encroachment into early successional plant communities and managed pine stands, reducing wildlife value and timber yields. Land managers lack information on how firing technique interacts with fire season to influence plant communities. We designed an experiment to quantify these interactions in east-central Mississippi with pairs of 4 m × 8 m plots randomly assigned a backing and heading fire in each of three seasons: February (Feb), May–June (May/Jun), and September–October (Sep/Oct). We used thermocouples to monitor fire temperature and tagged midstory trees to monitor response. We lit heading fires with an 18–25 kph wind generated by a backpack blower and backing fires into the ambient wind. Despite backing fires producing longer residence times than heading fires and raising temperature above the lethal threshold of 60 °C an average of 54 s longer, firing technique did not influence midstory response one growing season post-fire. Backing and heading fires produced similar maximum temperatures. For both firing techniques, May/Jun resulted in the highest midstory mortality rates which were 3-fold greater than Sep/Oct and 4-fold greater than Feb. Among all three fire seasons, trees with a 2.5 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) had approximately a 75% chance of top-kill which decreased to <20% as trees approached 6.5 cm DBH. We found no effects of fire season on fire temperature, rate of spread, flame height, or percent crown scorch. We found no significant interactions between fire season and firing technique. Understory analysis revealed Sep/Oct produced the greatest increase in forb coverage, May/Jun resulted in the most grass coverage, and Feb produced the most brambles (Rubus spp.). On sites with similar species, weather, and fuel conditions to ours, land managers should emphasize fire season over firing technique for midstory control and understory manipulation. Where midstory hardwood control with fire is a priority, fire return intervals should be frequent enough to prevent trees from exceeding 2.5 cm DBH to avoid trees escaping fire's reach. These data can help managers reduce midstory competition with crop trees and promote understory development for wildlife.

Fire4CAST – a new integrative epidemiological forecasting model for the accurate prediction of infection risk and effective control of fire blight in Pyrus orchards

Fire blight disease, caused by Erwinia amylovora is present worldwide and affects over 40 countries in Europe where it is listed as a quarantine or regulated pest often due to ineffective control strategies maladapted to the respective production systems. In Portugal, the disease was confirmed in 2010 and the occurrence of disease outbreaks in new production areas has risen over the years. The disease affects the national production of apple and pear fruits, with greater impact on the national pear variety ‘Rocha’, widely exported to European countries and Brazil. The mild temperatures and high relative humidity promote the progression of the disease during winter, revealing the potential activity of the bacterium in the latency period (LP) of the host. Infection alert risk using the established predictive models Maryblight TM, Cougarblight and BIS98 was put in place in 2013 by Centro Operativo e Tecnológico Hortofrutícola Nacional (COTHN). These attempts to control the spread of this disease, showed low accuracy for the Portuguese epidemiological reality. Within the framework of project Fire4CAST we developed a new epidemiological model to predict fire blight disease using a systems biology approach integrating microbiological, cytological and genomic pathogen data with phenological host development and climatic variables. The presence of E. amylovora was monitored in orchards with fire blight history using standard laboratory tests. Simultaneously, the implementation of immune-flow cytometry (IFCM) highlighted the viability of E. amylovora populations prevailing during winter and early spring, long before bloom risk period. The integration of the whole data set allowed the development of the Fire4CAST predictive model, able to monitor the expected infection date (EID) and to define accurate outbreak alarms. Fire4CAST model enabled the detection of outbreak risk during winter based on rules that consider climatic data variables, which were validated by effective presence of live and active E. amylovora populations and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) data, accomplishing a precision rate of 83%. Field application of Fire4CAST can hopefully guide the implementation of successful control strategies, leading to more sustainable pome chain production areas.

Fire in the rainforest: A 3200‐year history of fire in a West Kalimantan, Indonesia, tropical rainforest

AbstractDespite its perceived historical rarity, fire is an important disturbance in tropical rainforests. Very large rainforest fires have been observed multiple times in recent decades, often during years of strong El Niño‐Southern Oscillation droughts. Fire in rainforest has major short‐term consequences for humans and wildlife by converting forest to fire‐prone fern, shrub, and grass, but the long‐term effects remain to be seen. Borneo's indigenous groups have been using fire to clear land for centuries, yet the prevalence and spatial patterns of premodern fire across forest types in Borneo are not well understood. This research set out to reconstruct fire in a 1500‐ha primary rainforest spanning 800 m of elevation in Indonesian Borneo with the goal of elucidating the role humans have played in rainforest fire. We found that humans played an important role in the occurrence of fire in recent centuries. Evidence of fire—charcoal &gt;2 mm—is more abundant in forest types where humans would be more likely to live and/or practice swidden agriculture. However, pyrogenic material is ubiquitous across the study area, showing that all forest types have experienced fire. A set of 50 radiocarbon dates showed that in lowland areas—where human‐caused fire is most likely—fire occurred throughout the last 3200 years, peaking 1300–1600 ce. The upland areas lacked evidence of fire before 1250 ce but otherwise had a similar pattern to the lowlands. The period of high fire coincides with regional demographic changes as well as regional droughts documented elsewhere in Southeast Asia. In upland areas, fires likely burned only under regional drought when fires could more easily spread upslope. Although forest plot studies at this site show little structural evidence of past fires, tree diversity is lower than expected in the most burned areas (alluvial benches). Thus, our results suggest that land clearance was a major source of fire, but the current intact state of these rainforests indicates that they were largely resilient to fires and land use hundreds of years ago. Recent fires mirror patterns of fire spread that occurred hundreds of years ago, though their severity and extent are likely much greater.

New control scheme for a dynamic voltage restorer based on selective harmonic injection technique with repetitive controller

Repetitive controller and selective harmonic injection technique (SHI) in medium and low voltage distribution networks improve dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) DC bus voltages as well as nullify power quality (PQ) problems. DVRs use sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) firing control, but DC bus use seems to be limited, affecting density, cost, and power packaging. By adding 1/6th of the 3rd harmonic waveform to the basic waveform, SPWM yields the developed model. According to the findings, 15% of DC bus usage improves and produces high voltage AC. Nevertheless, just control systems perturb PQ. The proposed controller uses feed forward and feedback to enhance transient response and justify stable zero error. 3rd third harmonic injection pulse width modulation (THIPWM) improves total harmonic distortion (THD) in the proposed scheme. Power system computer aided design (PSCAD) simulation produced high accuracy for THIPWM and repetitive controllers.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Frontier Focus Analysis Based on Coal Fire Control Body of Knowledge

Mine fire accidents frequently constitute a major threat to mining safety, and their potential consequences are extremely severe, which highlights the urgency of fire prevention and control research. In this study, the CiteSpace software was used to conduct a metrological analysis of 717 relevant studies in the field of mine fire prevention and control (MFPC), aiming to reveal the research trends and trends in this field. This analysis found that the annual number of MFPC articles showed a significant upward trend, indicating that it is in rapid development during the active period. China, the United States, and Australia are the main contributors in this field, and the institutional contribution of China University of Mining and Technology is particularly outstanding, reflecting the regional concentration of research activities. The analysis of cooperation networks reveals the close cross-regional collaboration among European countries. The inhibition effect and evaluation criteria and the inhibition technology under different coal characteristics have become the focus of research. Activation energy, release, and quantum chemistry have become recent hot spots, reflecting the research on the mechanism of forward physicochemical synergistic inhibition and the in-depth exploration of the molecular level. It indicates that future research will focus on the development of temperature-responsive retardant materials, the application of quantum chemistry theory, and the exploration of the microscopic mechanism of coal spontaneous combustion through molecular simulation technology to further optimize the fire prevention strategy. In summary, the findings of this study not only provide a comprehensive picture of current research activities in the MFPC field but also indicate potential directions for future research and have important guiding significance for promoting the development of this field.

Collaborative Governance in Forest and Land Fire Control Policies in Ogan Komering Ilir Regency

Collaborative Governance in Forest and Land Fire Control Policies in Ogan Komering Ilir Regency

Study on the Effect of Natural Wind on the Smoke Spread Law of Extra-Long Tunnel Fires with Inclined Shafts for Air Supply and Exhaust

High-temperature smoke generated by tunnel fires is the most important factor causing casualties. To explore the influence of natural wind on fire smoke movement in an extra-long highway tunnel based on the Taihang Mountain Tunnel, the distribution law of natural wind in the tunnel was obtained by on-site monitoring of the meteorological conditions at the tunnel site. A three-dimensional fire dynamics tunnel model considering an inclined shaft smoke exhaust was established, and the influence of natural wind on tunnel temperature distribution, smoke spread and smoke exhaust efficiency was studied. The results show that the natural wind speed of the Taihang Mountain Tunnel is mainly concentrated at 0~3 m/s. The main wind direction of the natural wind on the left tunnel is opposite to the driving direction, and the distribution probability of the main wind direction in each section is 81.27% and 72.15%, respectively. The main wind direction of the right tunnel is the same as the driving direction, and the distribution probability of the main wind direction in each section is 56.78%, 69.73%, 67.32% and 64.65%, respectively. The negative natural wind can inhibit the smoke spread downstream of the smoke exhaust port, but it is not conducive to the smoke exhaust. The positive natural wind promotes the smoke spread to the downstream of the smoke exhaust port, and the larger the natural wind speed, the longer the spread length. Natural wind reduces the smoke exhaust efficiency. For positive or negative natural wind with a guaranteed rate of 70%, the smoke exhaust efficiency is reduced by 27.76% and 15.59%, respectively, compared with the condition without natural wind. The research results can provide a useful reference for the design of fire smoke exhausts and smoke control schemes in extra-long highway tunnels.

Impacts of Forest Fires on Landscape Patches

The interrelationships between landscape and forest fires are synthesized by going through relevant books and reviewing related literature. Various effects of forest fires on landscape patches are described, while the interference of landscape on forest fires is illustrated, and some applications of forest fires in landscape ecology, such as firebreaks, are enumerated to provide scientific and reasonable bases for the prevention and control of forest fires.

Promoting Optimal Habitat Availability by Maintaining Fine-Grained Burn Mosaics: A Modelling Study in an Australian Semi-Arid Temperate Woodland

The pyrodiversity–biodiversity (P–B) hypothesis posits that spatiotemporally variable fire regimes increase wildlife habitat diversity, and that the fine-grained mosaics resulting from small patchy fires enhance biodiversity. This logic underpins the patch mosaic burning (PMB) paradigm and reinforces the benefits of Indigenous fire management, which tends to promote pyrodiversity. However, tests of the P–B hypothesis and PMB paradigm are few. One of the most comprehensive field evaluations—a snapshot study of pre-existing fire mosaics in south-east Australian semi-arid mallee eucalypt woodlands—found little support. To explore the longer-term effects of fire mosaic grain size on habitat availability and biodiversity, we combined published data from the mallee study with a simple fire simulation. We simulated 500 years of landscape burning under different fire sizes. In the resulting mosaics, we assessed the proportional mixture and patch configuration of successional habitat states, then summarised habitat availability through time using a composite index based on the published fire history responses of 22 vertebrate taxa from the mallee study. Small fires formed fine-grained mosaics with a stable habitat mixture and with habitat diversity occurring at fine scales. Large fires formed coarse-grained mosaics with the opposite properties. The fine-grained mosaics maintained optimal habitat availability for vertebrate diversity over 500 years, while the fluctuating habitat mixture in the coarse-grained mosaics was unlikely to maintain maximum vertebrate diversity. Broadly, our results support the P–B hypothesis and justify further field-testing and evaluation of PMB programs to manage both pyrodiversity and biodiversity in the mallee and other flammable landscapes.

Fire exclusion, pyrogenic carbon, and ecosystem function: What have we lost?

Settler colonialism and active fire exclusion greatly eliminated recurrent fire from forests and grasslands in the United States. Pyrogenic carbon (PyC), a key legacy of fire and a stable form of carbon (C) in soils, has inadvertently been lost with the cessation of biomass burning. Using a simple simulation, we estimate that fire exclusion from grasslands over the last 125 years has resulted in a loss of 963–1,028 Tg of PyC, approximately equivalent to a 12% - 22% decline in the soil PyC reservoir. This loss of PyC from grassland ecosystems and the lack of introduction of fresh PyC has likely had a significant impact on soil health in the Great Plains. To rebuild this lost stable C pool and the associated ecosystem function of PyC, we recommend combining Indigenous Knowledge and western science to restore historical fire regimes to forests and grasslands and reintroduce PyC via biochar application to agricultural fields.

Fire history in the serpentine‑soil Spanish firs of Sierra Bermeja

Fire history in the serpentine‑soil Spanish firs of Sierra Bermeja

Reliability study of fire suppression using dodecafluoro-2-methylpentan-3-one in small-sized confined space: From a temperature and gaseous products viewpoint

Despite the vast progress in fire-extinguishing agents and technology, the early-stage fire suppression in small-sized confined space (SCS) remains a challenge. This study introduces the reliability of SCS flame inhibition using dodecafluoro-2-methylpentan-3-one (C6F12O) through a self-assessment experimental platform to investigate the effectiveness, thermal effects, and toxic characteristics of gaseous products of C6F12O in extinguishing SCS fires. The results show that the fire extinguishing and cooling effects of C6F12O, as well as the smoke toxicity of its products, can be influenced by the agent dosage, SCS fire source setup, and spatial structure. The fire extinguishing and cooling effects of C6F12O are superior to those of H2O, and these effects can be enhanced with the increase in flow rates that are applied. However, after the extinguishing of the fire, a large quantity of toxic and irritating gaseous products will be produced, and such a risk can be reduced with excessive application of C6F12O. For SCSs with a simple structure (unobstructed condition), fires breaking out in their middle sections will pose a greater fire thermal hazard, and gas products after the application of C6F12O for fire extinguishing will present greater smoke toxicity. The thermal hazards of fires in the middle sections of SCSs can be significantly reduced with the addition of obstruction conditions inside the SCSs. However, there is an insignificant effect on the smoke toxicity of products after the extinguishing of fire. These research conclusions offer a breakthrough in the development of new fire-extinguishing materials (devices) primarily based on C6F12O for active prevention and control of initial SCS fires.

Unearthing the legacy of wildfires: post fire pyrogenic carbon and soil carbon persistence across complex Pacific Northwest watersheds

Wildfires have the potential to dramatically alter the carbon (C) storage potential, ecological function, and the fundamental mechanisms that control the C balance of Pacific Northwest (PNW) forested ecosystems. In this study, we explored how wildfire influences processes that control soil C stabilization and the consequent soil C persistence, and the role of previous fire history in determining soil C fire response dynamics. We collected mineral soils at four depth increments from burned (low, moderate, and high soil burn severity classes) and unburned areas and surveyed coarse woody debris (CWD) in sites within the footprint of the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire and in surrounding Willamette National Forest and the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. We found few changes in overall soil C pools as a function of fire severity; we instead found that unburned sites contained high levels of pyrogenic C (PyC) that were commensurate with PyC concentrations in the high severity burn sites—pointing to the high background rate of fire in these ecosystems. An analysis of historical fire events lends additional support, where increasing fire count is loosely correlated with increasing PyC concentration. An unexpected finding was that PyC concentration was lower in low soil burn severity sites than in control sites, which we attribute to fundamental ecological differences in regions that repeatedly burn at high severity compared with those that burn at low severity. Our CWD analysis showed that high mean fire return interval (decades between fire events) was strongly correlated with low annual CWD accumulation rate; whereas areas that burn frequently had a high annual CWD accumulation rate. Within the first year postfire, trends in soil density fractions demonstrated no significant response to fire for the mineral-associated organic matter pool but slight increases in the particulate pool with increasing soil burn severity—likely a function of increased charcoal additions. Overall, our results suggest that these PNW forest soils display complex responses to wildfire with feedbacks between CWD pools that provide varying fuel loads and a mosaic fire regime across the landscape. Microclimate and historic fire events are likely important determinants of soil C persistence in these systems.

Forest landscape restoration-induced changes in land cover and woody plant community structure in a degraded forest reserve in Ghana

Restoring degraded forests has become a global concern due to the high levels of forest disturbance arising from farming, logging, and mining. This study, conducted in the degraded Tain II Forest Reserve landscape in Ghana, examined the effects of forest landscape restoration (FLR) on land cover changes and woody plant community structure in the area. The study combined remote sensing, plot sampling techniques, and structured interviews in data collection. Landsat images were used to establish the land cover changes in the landscape. Plant community structure was assessed within thirty 50 m by 50 m plots that were laid randomly in equal numbers in Natural Forest (NF), Natural Regeneration (NR), and Assisted Regeneration (AR) sites. Ecosystem services and socio-economic benefits of the FLR to the local community were also assessed. To compare site attributes, one-way ANOVA analysis was used. The results showed that forestland increased from 45 to 70 % while bare land and cropland declined consistently from over 50 % to 28 % and 5 % to 0.7 %, respectively, within 10-year study period. Woody plant species totaling 120 belonging to 34 families, compared to a baseline of 61 species and 24 families, were enumerated. The NF and NR sites had higher flora diversity than the AR sites. NF composition was less homogenous compared to the NR and AR. The majority of the community is perceived to have socioeconomically gained from ecosystem services and engagement in the FLR. Effective land governance, stakeholder participation, community-led fire control, and strategic interventions positively influenced the rate of forest restoration. The FLR influenced the land cover and species composition of the landscape. The findings highlight the importance of ecological, social, and economic considerations in FLR for sustainable outcomes for people and the environment. FLR stakeholders should collaborate in planning and implementation of forest restoration to ensure sustainable outcomes.