Illegal Fires Research Articles

Isolated by dry lands: integrative analyses unveil the existence of a new species and a previously unknown evolutionary lineage of Brazilian Lanceheads (Serpentes: Viperidae: Bothrops) from a Caatinga moist-forest enclave

Here we describe a new species of Lancehead (Bothrops jabrensis sp. nov.) based on three individuals sampled from a previously unknown population from Pico do Jabre, an isolated and small Caatinga moist-forest enclave (CMFE) located in northeastern Brazil. Although this new species has an external morphology resembling those found in representatives of the Bothrops jararaca (Wied-Neuwied, 1824) species group, B. jabrensis can be diagnosed by a combination of meristic and color characters. Molecular phylogenetic analysis indicates the new species represents a unique and highly divergent lineage within Bothrops revealing the existence of a previously unknown phylogenetic lineage that has been evolving as an independent unit for more than 8 million years. Additionally, the estimated divergence time of this lineage conflicts with some proposed scenarios of historical processes associated with the evolution of CMFEs. Finally, the uniqueness of this species indicates its relevance for the maintenance of the phylogenetic diversity of Lanceheads in South America. Like other CMFEs, Pico do Jabre is consistently threatened by poaching, illegal fires, deforestation for agricultural purposes, and illegal logging. The restricted distribution of B. jabrensis, in a small and disturbed CMFE, strongly suggests that this species is critically endangered and is likely approaching extinction as a natural population.

Institutional Redundancy and Charge & Sentence Disparity in the Enforcement of Illegal Fire Use in Land Management in Indonesia

Institutional Redundancy and Charge & Sentence Disparity in the Enforcement of Illegal Fire Use in Land Management in Indonesia

Exploring Archetypes of Tropical Fire-Related Forest Disturbances Based on Dense Optical and Radar Satellite Data and Active Fire Alerts

Tropical forest disturbances linked to fire usage cause large amounts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and environmental damages. Supporting precise GHG estimations and counteracting illegal fire usages in the tropics require timely and thematically detailed large-scale information on fire-related forest disturbances. Multi-sensor optical and radar detection and ranging (radar) remote sensing data combined with active fire alerts shows the potential for a more in-depth characterization of fire-related forest disturbances. We utilized dense optical (Landsat-7, Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2) and radar (Sentinel-1) time series to individually map forest disturbances in the province of Riau (Indonesia) for 2018–2019. We combined the sensor-specific optical and radar forest disturbance maps with daily active fire alerts and classified their temporal relationship (predating, coinciding, postdating) into seven so-called archetypes of fire-related forest disturbances. The archetypes reflect sensor-specific sensitives of optical (e.g., changes in tree foliage) and radar (e.g., changes in tree structure) data to detect varying types of forest disturbances, ranging from either a loss of tree foliage and/or structure predating, coinciding or postdating fires. These can be related to different magnitudes of fire-related forest disturbances and burn severities and can be associated with specific land management practices, such as slash-and-burn agriculture and salvage logging. This can support policy development, local and regional forest management and law enforcement to reduce illegal fire usage in the tropics. Results suggest that a delayed or opposing forest disturbance detection in the optical and radar signal is not only caused by environmental influences or different observation densities but, in some cases, such as fire-related forest disturbances, can be related to their different sensitives to detect changes in tree foliage and structure. Multi-sensor-based forest monitoring approaches should, therefore, not simply combine optical and radar time series on a data level, as it bears the risk of introducing artefacts.

Net reductions or spatiotemporal displacement of intentional wildfires in response to arrests? Evidence from Spain

Research to date has not examined how the impacts of arrests manifest across space and time in environmental crimes. We evaluate whether arrests reduce or merely spatiotemporally displace intentional illegal outdoor firesetting. Using municipality-level daily wildfire count data from Galicia, Spain, from 1999 to 2014, we develop daily spatiotemporal ignition count models of agricultural, non-agricultural and total intentional illegal wildfires as functions of spatiotemporally lagged arrests, the election cycle, seasonal and day indicators, meteorological factors and socioeconomic variables. We find evidence that arrests reduce future intentional illegal fires across space in subsequent time periods.

Characterizing Tropical Forest Cover Loss Using Dense Sentinel-1 Data and Active Fire Alerts

Fire use for land management is widespread in natural tropical and plantation forests, causing major environmental and economic damage. Recent studies combining active fire alerts with annual forest-cover loss information identified fire-related forest-cover loss areas well, but do not provide detailed understanding on how fires and forest-cover loss are temporally related. Here, we combine Sentinel-1-based, near real-time forest cover information with Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) active fire alerts, and for the first time, characterize the temporal relationship between fires and tropical forest-cover loss at high temporal detail and medium spatial scale. We quantify fire-related forest-cover loss and separate fires that predate, coincide with, and postdate forest-cover loss. For the Province of Riau, Indonesia, dense Sentinel-1 C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar data with guaranteed observations of at least every 12 days allowed for confident and timely forest-cover-loss detection in natural and plantation forest with user’s and producer’s accuracy above 95%. Forest-cover loss was detected and confirmed within 22 days in natural forest and within 15 days in plantation forest. This difference can primarily be related to different change processes and dynamics in natural and plantation forest. For the period between 1 January 2016 and 30 June 2017, fire-related forest-cover loss accounted for about one third of the natural forest-cover loss, while in plantation forest, less than ten percent of the forest-cover loss was fire-related. We found clear spatial patterns of fires predating, coinciding with, or postdating forest-cover loss. Only the minority of fires in natural and plantation forest temporally coincided with forest-cover loss (13% and 16%) and can thus be confidently attributed as direct cause of forest-cover loss. The majority of the fires predated (64% and 58%) or postdated forest-cover loss (23% and 26%), and should be attributed to other key land management practices. Detailed and timely information on how fires and forest cover loss are temporally related can support tropical forest management, policy development, and law enforcement to reduce unsustainable and illegal fire use in the tropics.

A Perpetually Hazy Situation

Malaysia is a tropical country and does not officially have seasonal variation of spring, summer, fall and winter. However, in our land of perpetual summer, we are subjected yearly to a ‘haze season’. Usually beginning during the dry-spell weather in June and could last till the beginning of the rainy season in October. This season also affects our neighboring countries like Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and Southern Thailand, thus, making it a Southeast Asia regional issue. The tell-tale signs of this season are a characteristic opalescent appearance, acrid burning smell in the air, difficulty in breathing, eye irritation etc. According to Malaysia’s Meteorological Department, haze happens when there are tiny particulates suspended in the atmosphere; high concentrations of the particulates will cause diminished visibility. Tiny particulates usually include atmospheric dust, smoke and vapor. Haze is formed when there is a favorable atmospheric condition that can be due to several factors such as prolonged dry weather, a stable atmosphere, and a source of pollutants from urban or rural sources. When there is a stable atmosphere, pollutants or particulates emitted into the atmosphere are trapped within the stagnant air mass producing a hazy condition caused by the increase in particulate concentration. Haze particles can be from natural sources or anthropogenic sources which are usually from open burning, land clearing, and combustion of fuel. The regional transboundary haze problem has been reported to be caused by illegal fires used as a method of land and forest clearing. When the haze is reported to be from plantation fires and villages in Indonesia, officials say there are Indonesian, Singaporean and Malaysian companies there. The impact from haze is usually the effect it has on reduced light and visibility. This will cause disruption in transportation, as well as the occurrence of accidents. Besides that, the haze will also have an impact on economy, mainly a decline in the tourism industry. Not only those, the particulates in the haze are likely to have global environmental effecton the climate. According to the Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister, in 3- 5 days of severe haze, fishermen and chicken farmers from heavily affected states have estimated a total of at least RM1.3million loss due to the inability to go out to sea and the effect of the haze on animal husbandry. Studies done by UKM have also found that from 2005-2009, the haze cost Malaysia a total of RM19 million. Another main concern is obviously the effect of haze to human health and well-being. Studies have shown that particulate matters that are less than 10 micrometers in size, including fine particles that are less than 2.5 micrometers, can penetrate deep into the lungs. Exposure to such particulate matter has been linked to premature death, difficulty in breathing, aggravated asthma, increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits, and increased respiratory symptoms. The groups of individuals that face the highest risk from haze exposure are the elderly, children, and people with respiratory problems. According to the Economic and Environment Programme in Southeast Asia 2 and WWF, the haze of 1997 cost the people of Southeast Asia some USD1.4 billion, mostly in short-term health costs. In this case, prevention is indeed better than cure, as a fire once started is not easy to put out in the dry weather conditions and the effects of haze are very detrimental to human health and well-being. The latest news of intergovernmental steps taken to overcome this transboundary problem is that in the recent 5th Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) on Transboundary Haze Pollution, ASEAN environment ministers reached a compromise where they have agreed to recommend the adoption of a joint haze monitoring system (HMS) developed by Singapore, and the limited sharing of official maps to track down culprits who start forest fires. However, the final decision is subject to the ASEAN Leaders’ approval at the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit which will be held in Brunei in October 2013. Hopefully, some concrete action will be taken and the whole issue will not be forgotten after the end of the ‘haze season’ this year only to be brought up again next year when we are hit with yet another haze season. It is easy for us to point fingers but we should be aware that we, as the public need to be more aware of how our resources and the environment is being managed or exploited. Irresponsible management of the environment will only cause more problems such as the haze. For now, we will have to depend on rain, natural or artificial, for a relief from the haze till the season is over and stock up on face masks.

Smoke palls return to Southeast Asia

Dense smoke from forest fires is again blanketing large expanses of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Three years ago, smog from similar fires drastically reduced visibility in many Southeast-Asian cities and heralded some of the most catastrophic forest destruction in the world. Air pollution from forest burning became so severe that many urban residents were forced to wear masks. Those fires led to an estimated US$9.3 billion in economic losses, resulting from the destruction of agricultural land, negative impacts on public health and tourism, and other causes.The current fires are ignited by slash-and-burn farmers, especially in Borneo and Sumatra, as they clear forests to plant crops. Although Indonesian and Malaysian authorities have technically banned forest burning, there has been virtually no enforcement of the decrees, especially among small farmers in the region.In response to the pall of smoke that is sharply reducing visibility in major cities, such as Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has banned the release of specific air-pollution readings, claiming that negative media reports would hurt its tourism industry. Before the ban, monitoring stations in Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak had reported unhealthy levels of air pollution and many residents complained of throat irritation.In percentage terms, Southeast Asia has the highest rate of deforestation of any major tropical region. Illegal fires, logging and large-scale clearing for oil-palm plantations are among the main causes of forest destruction. WFL