Vegetation Fires Research Articles

Vegetation fires and hydroclimatic relationships in watersheds in southeastern Amazonia

O trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar as relações existentes entre os elementos do clima e a sazonalidade de índices de perigo de incêndios e da ocorrência de focos de calor, em três bacias hidrográficas da região Sudeste da Amazônia, afluentes do rio Xingu. Foram avaliados os índices de perigo de incêndio de Angstrom, FMA+ e P-EVAP, com dados meteorológicos diários de 63 estações meteorológicas automáticas da rede de estação do Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET) e do Agritempo/EMBRAPA, entre os anos de 2017 e 2021. As bacias hidrográficas dos rios Culuene, Comandante Fontoura e Fresco apresentaram sazonalidade climática semelhante, com estação chuvosa entre outubro e abril, e estação seca entre maio e setembro. Dessa forma, os índices de perigo de incêndio demostraram comportamento sazonal semelhante. O índice de Angstrom demonstrou que entre junho e setembro, o número de dias com perigo de incêndio é igual ou superior a 84%. O índice FMA+, apontou que nesse mesmo período, 100% dos dias, independentemente da bacia hidrográfica, estão nas classes de perigo alto e muito alto. O índice P-EVAP, revelou que entre junho e agosto, 97,43% dos dias apresentam perigo alto ou muito alto de incêndio. Os focos de calor estiveram concentrados nos meses de estiagem para as bacias hidrográficas dos rios Culuene (92,8%), Comandante Fontoura (70,9%) e Fresco (89,1%). Dentre os três índices analisados, o índice de perigo de incêndio P-EVAP, conforme os valores do Skill Score e da porcentagem de sucesso exibiu os melhores resultados.

Fire weakens land carbon sinks before 1.5 °C

To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the Paris Agreement committed countries to pursue efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 °C by urgently reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the Paris temperature ambitions and remaining carbon budgets mostly use models that lack feedback among fire, vegetation and carbon, which are essential for understanding the future resilience of ecosystems. Here we use a coupled fire–vegetation model to explore regional impacts and feedbacks across global warming levels. We address whether the 1.5 °C goal is consistent with avoiding significant ecosystem changes when considering shifts in fire regimes. We find that the global warming level at which fire began to impact global carbon storage significantly was 1.07 °C (0.8–1.34 °C) above pre-industrial levels and conclude that fire is already playing a major role in decreasing the effectiveness of land carbon sinks. We estimate that considering fire reduces the remaining carbon budget by 25 Gt CO2 (~5%) for limiting temperature rise to 1.5 °C and 64 GtCO2 (~5%) for 2.0 °C compared to previous estimates. Whereas limiting warming to 1.5 °C is still essential for avoiding the worst impacts of climate change, in many cases, we are already reaching the point of significant change in ecosystems rich in carbon and biodiversity.

Assessment of the aerogenic impact of the Norilsk industrial complex on the natural environment using epigeal lichens

Relevance. The need to study the features of aerogenic effects of the Norilsk industrial complex on the natural environment. Aim. To study the features of the aerogenic effects of the Norilsk industrial complex in the south-southwest zone at a distance of 40–60 km using lichens Cladonia rungeferina and Cetraria sp. Objects. Soil, lichens Cladonia rungeferina and Cetraria sp. Methods. Soil and lichen samples were taken 40–60 km south-southwest of the Norilsk Industrial district. Sampling was carried out according to the scheme of two profiles with a length of 14 and 20 km. The samples were analyzed using a set of methods consisting of X-ray fluorescence (S4 Pioneer Bruker AXS), atomic absorption methods (KVANT-2A, Julia-5K) and induction-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ELEMENT-2) in the laboratory of the GIN RAS, Moscow. The concentration of Ti, V, Ni, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Cd, Sb, Ba, La was determined. Results. The authors have obtained the data on the concentration of the 21 elements in soils and lichens. The paper demonstrates the calculation of distribution of elements in soil and lichens relative to the concentration in the upper part of the continental crust. The authors calculated the enrichment factor EF for Mn, Ni, Cu, Hg, Pb and estimated the distribution of this coefficient for both profiles. It is shown that the technogenic component of the aerogenic effect for Mn, Ni, Cu, Pb to the south-southwest of the Norilsk industrial complex at a distance of 40–60 km is practically absent. The increased values of the enrichment factor EF in lichens for Hg are explained by a combination of two factors – the constant presence of mercury in significant concentrations in ecosystems and tundra fires that took place in this zone in 2019–2020, which ultimately led to the re-deposition of Hg in the burnt areas.

Comparative analysis of SPI and SPEI drought indices for Montenegro and the impact of teleconnections

ABSTRACT After 2000, Montenegro has been hit by several severe droughts. The results presented in this study were based on the analysis of the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) for the period 1961–2020. They showed the prevalence of a negative trend in both indices and a significantly higher frequency of drought in the second half of the observed period (1991–2020). The SPEI index is a more representative indicator of drought, because in addition to precipitation, it also takes into account potential evapotranspiration. Using the rescaled adjusted partial sums (RAPS) method, it was determined that the tipping point when the SPEI suddenly fell was the mid-1980s. Out of the 15 analyzed teleconnection variation indicators (atmospheric and oceanic oscillations), 11 oscillations have a significant impact on one or more of the 24 analyzed SPEI time series. The consequences of the drought in Montenegro, as part of the Mediterranean, are most noticeable in the summer, primarily in the form of water shortages, dried vegetation, and frequent fires. Decision-makers in Montenegro should pay attention to this extreme, as drought could pose a serious problem under the projected warmer climate conditions.

Different seasons and vegetation cover more than fire control nutrient stoichiometry and biological activities in Mediterranean soils

Mediterranean soils are affected by degradation phenomena, exacerbated by anthropic disturbance. These ecosystems are affected by peculiar climatic conditions, characteristic vegetation and frequent fire that with the anthropic activities can compromise soil nutrient status. Studies concerning the nutrients stoichiometry in Mediterranean area are scarce, therefore the present research aim to fill the gap about the effect of seasonal variations, vegetation cover and fire occurrences on soil nutrient balance and microbial biomass and activity. The sampling was performed inside the Vesuvius National Park across 24 sites during two seasons (Fall and Spring), under trees and shrubs and in burned and unburned areas. Soils were characterized for carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) concentrations, for bacterial and fungal biomass (Eub and Fungi) and for microbial activities (respiration, hydrolase: HA, dehydrogenase: DHA, β-glucosidase: β-glu and urease: U). The results showed that, both in Fall and Spring, high C:N (18.7), C:P (130) and N:P (6.74) ratios were observed in soils under trees. Both in soils under trees and shrubs, low eubacterial biomass (trees: 90.2 ng g−1 w.w.; shrubs: 44.4 ng g−1 w.w.), respiration (trees: 0.24 mg CO2 g−1 d.w. min−1; shrubs: 0.14 mg CO2 g−1 d.w. min−1) and hydrolase (trees: 37.0 mmol FDA g−1 d.w. min−1; shrubs: 11.9 mmol FDA g−1 d.w. min−1) activities were observed in Spring. Fire effect was evident only in Fall where low values of eubacterial biomass (667 ng g−1 w.w.) and respiration activity (0.60 mg CO2 g−1 d.w. min−1) were observed in burnt soils. In conclusion, the seasonal variations and the vegetation cover appeared the main environmental factors that affect nutrient stoichiometry and microbial biomass and activity in Mediterranean soils. It is necessary to monitor Mediterranean soils during different seasons and encourage the growth of native vegetation to enhance nutrient cycling and maintain soil health.

Early polar-orbiting satellite-based fire remote sensing during the 1960s

ABSTRACT Satellite-based sensors such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) now routinely provide a detailed picture of global fire activity on a daily basis. These systems explicitly included biomass burning as a phenomenon of interest, and their design was heavily influenced by experience gained with the comparatively primitive Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) first deployed on the TIROS-N satellite in the late 1970s. The AVHRR is generally recognized as the earliest spaceborne sensor to provide a middle infrared (MWIR) channel sensitive to actively burning vegetation fires and other high-temperature, sub-pixel thermal anomalies, forming the basis of countless fire studies before higher quality MODIS data became available. Here, we consider in the context of active fire monitoring a sensor much older than the AVHRR, namely the High Resolution Infrared Radiometer (HRIR) on board NASA’s Nimbus-I, -II, and -III satellites, launched in 1964, 1966, and 1969, respectively. This early imaging sensor had a single MWIR channel primarily intended for night-time meteorological observations (a complementary daytime near-infrared channel was added for Nimbus-III) that could potentially serve as a source of pre-AVHRR active fire data. To this end, we inspected night-time HRIR imagery acquired over the western United States and found unambiguous evidence of multiple confirmed wildfires in 1966. In addition, we found strong evidence of actively burning fires in Africa, specifically the Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Zambia, and northern Namibia, and in northern Australia, commensurate with their fire seasons. Our findings indicate that it was actually the HRIR that acquired the earliest MWIR imagery that could be used for identifying biomass burning from space, well over a decade before the first AVHRR was deployed. We found in addition that the retrieval of fire radiative power (FRP) from higher dynamic-range HRIR observations was potentially possible pending refined calibration.

Literatur Review: Impact of Land Clearing for Palm Oil by Burning on Carbon Releases and Wildlife in Indonesia

Fires on palm oil plantations always occur in Indonesia, although they have decreased from 2015 to 2020. This happens because fires are a fast and easy way to clear and clear land. Fires in palm oil plantations can damage the environment and wildlife. Knowing the impact on the environment and animals, this article searches for and collects the results of previous research using traditional literature review methods. The literature review results show that oil palm was initially an ornamental plant brought from Africa, then cultivated in the Bogor Botanical Gardens. Successful cultivation is then developed into plantation crops that have the potential to be widely cultivated in Indonesia. This causes an increase in the need for land to cultivate these plants. This increase in land demand causes fires to occur in Indonesia which impacts the release of carbon and wildlife. Carbon released from vegetation fires causes air pollution which results in environmental damage. These fires can also harm wildlife due to loss of habitat and food sources. To reduce the impact of fires, recommendations are given to increase CPO production without having to open new land, which can potentially increase forest and land fires. The recommended method is a partnership with oil palm farmers. This can meet CPO production needs for local and international markets without having to open new concessions. This method can also be used as an alternative to help oil palm farmers manage crops and improve the community's economy.

Stimulated photosynthesis of regrowth after fire in coastal scrub vegetation: increased water or nutrient availability?

Fire-prone landscapes experience frequent fires, disrupting above-ground biomass and altering below-ground soil nutrient availability. Augmentation of leaf nutrients or leaf water balance can both reduce limitations to photosynthesis and facilitate post-fire recovery in plants. These modes of fire responses are often studied separately and hence are rarely compared. We hypothesized that under severe burning, woody plants of a coastal scrub ecosystem would have higher rates of photosynthesis (Anet) than in unburned areas due to a transient release from leaf nutrient and water limitations, facilitating biomass recovery post-burn. To compare these fire recovery mechanisms in regrowing plants, we measured leaf gas exchange, leaf and soil N and P concentrations, and plant stomatal limitations in Australian native coastal scrub species across a burn sequence of sites at 1 year after severe fire, 7 years following a light controlled fire, and decades after any fire at North Head, Sydney, Australia. Recent burning stimulated increases in Anet by 20% over unburned trees and across three tree species. These species showed increases in total leaf N and P as a result of burning of 28% and 50% for these macronutrients, respectively, across the three species. The boost in leaf nutrients and stimulated leaf biochemical capacity for photosynthesis, alongside species-specific stomatal conductance (gs) increases, together contributed to increased photosynthetic rates after burning compared with the long-unburned area. Photosynthetic stimulation after burning occurred due to increases in nutrient concentrations in leaves, particularly N, as well as stomatal opening for some species. The findings suggest that changes in species photosynthesis and growth with increased future fire intensity or frequency may be facilitated by changes in leaf physiology after burning. On this basis, species dominance during regrowth depends on nutrient and water availability during post-fire recovery.

Late Pleistocene to Holocene vegetation changes in southeastern Patagonia (49° S): landscape changes related to disturbances

ABSTRACTSoutheastern Patagonia's (49° S) post‐glacial history inferred from high Andean lake sediments provides new insights regarding Late Pleistocene and Holocene vegetation dynamics at the eastern margin of the Southern Patagonian Icefield. The fossil records of pollen, charcoal and geochemical data from tephra layers from Laguna Chiquita and Laguna Gemelas Este were analysed to reveal past landscape dynamics related to vegetation changes, fire and volcanic events from ca. 15 200 cal a bp to the present. Nothofagus forest expanded over shrubland communities sometime between 15 200 and 4600 cal a bp, along with at least three disturbance sources related to the volcanic eruptions of Lautaro, Aguilera and Hudson, important local fire episodes, and neoglacial advances. Major charcoal deposition reveals moderate fire activity during the Late Pleistocene related to an open landscape characterised by a grass/shrub steppe. Local glacier advances may have affected the Laguna Gemelas Este sedimentation. Tephra deposition events do not correlate to vegetation changes inferred from the Laguna Gemelas Este and Laguna Chiquita pollen records. Late Holocene eastern Andean forest changes and fire activity at 49° S match other southern palaeoenvironmental records (50–52° S) suggesting that changes in the Southern Westerly Wind latitudinal position and intensity drove major palaeovegetation and fire dynamics before the European settlement. In the last centuries, fire and vegetation changes have been closely related to an increase in local ignition sources and the introduction of alien species.

Rainfall seasonality dominates critical precipitation threshold for the Amazon forest in the LPJmL vegetation model

Understanding the Amazon Rainforest's response to shifts in precipitation is paramount with regard to its sensitivity to climate change and deforestation. Studies using Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) typically only explore a range of socio-economically plausible pathways. In this study, we applied the state-of-the-art DGVM LPJmL to simulate the Amazon forest's response under idealized scenarios where precipitation is linearly decreased and subsequently increased between current levels and zero. Our results indicate a nonlinear but reversible relationship between vegetation Above Ground Biomass (AGB) and Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP), suggesting a threshold at a critical MAP value, below which vegetation biomass decline accelerates with decreasing MAP. We find that approaching this critical threshold is accompanied by critical slowing down, which can hence be expected to warn of accelerating biomass decline with decreasing rainfall. The critical precipitation threshold is lowest in the northwestern Amazon, whereas the eastern and southern regions may already be below their critical MAP thresholds. Overall, we identify the seasonality of precipitation and the potential evapotranspiration (PET) as the most important parameters determining the threshold value. While vegetation fires show little effect on the critical threshold and the biomass pattern in general, the ability of trees to adapt to water stress by investing in deep roots leads to increased biomass and a lower critical threshold in some areas in the eastern and southern Amazon where seasonality and PET are high. Our findings underscore the risk of Amazon forest degradation due to changes in the water cycle, and imply that regions that are currently characterized by higher water availability may exhibit heightened vulnerability to future drying.

Comparing machine learning algorithms to predict vegetation fire detections in Pakistan

Vegetation fires have major impacts on the ecosystem and present a significant threat to human life. Vegetation fires consists of forest fires, cropland fires, and other vegetation fires in this study. Currently, there is a limited amount of research on the long-term prediction of vegetation fires in Pakistan. The exact effect of every factor on the frequency of vegetation fires remains unclear when using standard analysis. This research utilized the high proficiency of machine learning algorithms to combine data from several sources, including the MODIS Global Fire Atlas dataset, topographic, climatic conditions, and different vegetation types acquired between 2001 and 2022. We tested many algorithms and ultimately chose four models for formal data processing. Their selection was based on their performance metrics, such as accuracy, computational efficiency, and preliminary test results. The model’s logistic regression, a random forest, a support vector machine, and an eXtreme Gradient Boosting were used to identify and select the nine key factors of forest and cropland fires and, in the case of other vegetation, seven key factors that cause a fire in Pakistan. The findings indicated that the vegetation fire prediction models achieved prediction accuracies ranging from 78.7 to 87.5% for forest fires, 70.4 to 84.0% for cropland fires, and 66.6 to 83.1% for other vegetation. Additionally, the area under the curve (AUC) values ranged from 83.6 to 93.4% in forest fires, 72.6 to 90.6% in cropland fires, and 74.2 to 90.7% in other vegetation. The random forest model had the highest accuracy rate of 87.5% in forest fires, 84.0% in cropland fires, and 83.1% in other vegetation and also the highest AUC value of 93.4% in forest fires, 90.6% in cropland fires, and 90.7% in other vegetation, proving to be the most optimal performance model. The models provided predictive insights into specific conditions and regional susceptibilities to fire occurrences, adding significant value beyond the initial MODIS detection data. The maps generated to analyze Pakistan’s vegetation fire risk showed the geographical distribution of areas with high, moderate, and low vegetation fire risks, highlighting predictive risk assessments rather than historical fire detections.

Intense formation of secondary ultrafine particles from Amazonian vegetation fires and their invigoration of deep clouds and precipitation

Intense formation of secondary ultrafine particles from Amazonian vegetation fires and their invigoration of deep clouds and precipitation

How can CFD contribute to the understanding of wildfire behaviour?

In addition to the experimental approach, wildfire modelling has been developed over the last decades to better understand the behaviour of wildfires and to propose new management tools to evaluate and reduce this natural hazard. This paper has twofold objective: (1) show how CFD simulation carried out using fully-physical models contributes to the understanding of wildfire behaviour, and (2) present new developments that were brought to FireStar3D – a fully-physical multiphase fire-simulator. The multiphase approach used in this class of models is briefly described, as well as the difficulties arising from the coupling between the various physical mechanisms of this multiscale problem. LES modelling and turbulence-radiation interaction used in FireStar3D is particularly detailed, as well as a new inlet boundary condition allowing to account for fire-induced flow while maintaining a prevailing crosswind far from the flaming zone. The benefits of multiphase CFD approach in addressing wildfire problems is demonstrated by considering three case studies of static and propagating vegetation fires having different length scales, which also highlights the model's potential in various configurations.

Effects of Coexposure to Air Pollution from Vegetation Fires and Extreme Heat on Mortality in Upper Northern Thailand.

Background: understanding the effects of coexposure to compound extreme events, such as air pollution and extreme heat, is important for reducing current and future health burdens. This study investigated the independent and synergistic effects of exposure to air pollution from vegetation fires and extreme heat on all-cause mortality in Upper Northern Thailand. Methods: we used a time-stratified case-crossover study design with a conditional quasi-Poisson model to examine the association between mortality and coexposure to air pollution due to vegetation fire events (fire-PM2.5) and extreme heat. Extreme heat days were defined using the 90th and 99th percentile thresholds for daily maximum temperature. Results: we observed a significant positive excess risk of mortality due to independent exposure to fire-PM2.5 and extreme heat, but not an interactive effect. All-cause mortality risk increased by 0.9% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.1, 1.8) for each 10 μg/m3 increase in fire-PM2.5 on the same day and by 12.8% (95% CI: 10.5, 15.1) on extreme heat days (90th percentile) relative to nonextreme heat days. Conclusion: this study showed that exposure to PM2.5 from vegetation fires and extreme heat independently increased all-cause mortality risk in UNT. However, there was no evidence of a synergistic effect of these events.

National-scale nighttime high-temperature anomalies from Landsat-8 OLI images

Identifying and characterizing the distribution, abundance, and structural composition of national high-temperature anomalies (HTAs) are essential for mitigating natural disasters, regulating industrial emissions, and assessing societal impacts. The Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) provides a unique capability for monitoring nighttime HTAs (N-HTAs) at high spatial resolutions without contamination from reflected solar radiation. However, the extraction of N-HTAs from nighttime OLI imagery poses significant challenges due to the interference of bright up-light, especially for smaller and cooler hotspots, and the absence of spectral information on backgrounds complicates the classification of N-HTAs at night. Here, we explored the background noise characteristics of Bands 2–7 in nighttime OLI imagery and developed an object-oriented approach for the enhanced detection of small and cool N-HTAs. Furthermore, we introduced a deep learning model that leverages high-resolution aerial imagery and land cover data to categorize N-HTAs into industrial sources, living sources, vegetation fires, and others. Applying these methodologies to nighttime OLI imagery from 2013 to 2020 allowed us to map and classify N-HTAs across the contiguous United States (CONUS), facilitating the creation of a detailed spatiotemporal inventory of industrial N-HTAs. Our analysis revealed that N-HTAs from living sources dominate the total N-HTAs, with a pronounced holiday effect, and gas flaring activities in oil and gas development areas account for >85 % of industrial N-HTAs. The outcomes of this national-scale investigation underscore the significant potential and practical utility of nighttime OLI imagery for N-HTA monitoring and advocate for expanding the spatial and temporal coverage of nighttime OLI observations globally.

Seventy-five years of vegetation change after fire in Tasmanian alpine heathland

Context Alpine ecosystems are threatened by warming and an associated increase in fire frequency. There is a gap in our knowledge of succession in Tasmanian alpine heath more than 50 years after fire. The literature suggests that the alpine successional progression usually involves decreasing rates of change, decreasing differences among fire ages, ongoing transitions among shrub species, ongoing transitions from some lifeforms/species to others, and that warming results in increases in species richness. Aims We test for these tendencies up to 75 years from fire in alpine vegetation on kunanyi/Mount Wellington, Tasmania, Australia. Methods We documented the changes in vegetation structure and composition between 1998 and 2022 in plots on either side of an alpine fire boundary in the alpine heathland and used earlier data and observations to extend the record of change after fire to 75 years. We put these changes in the context of the only area of alpine vegetation that was not burnt in 1947 or later. Key results The area last burnt in 1947 exhibited declines in all lifeform covers between 1998 and 2022. All lifeforms except tall shrubs and mat shrubs declined in cover in the area last burnt in 1962. By 2022, shrub cover in the 1962-burnt area had not attained equivalence with the area last burnt in 1947. Herbs had the most dramatic decline in both fire-age classes. There were few shrub seedlings in 2022. All but six taxa, three being exotic, were observed in both the plots and previous broader surveys. Increases in species richness caused by the upward migration of lower-elevation species were not observed. The long-unburnt patch lacked the major dominant of the 1947-burnt plots, namely Orites acicularis, and was dominated by a gymnosperm absent from most of the mountain. Conclusions Succession follows the initial floristic composition model. The differences in trajectories from the 1947 and 1962 fires could possibly be due to desiccation or abrasion damage from increasing wind speeds and temperatures. There are strong indications of further potential change in the absence of fire. Implications The slow rate of recovery and its on-going nature emphasise the importance of keeping fire out of this vegetation type.

Post-fire stabilization of thaw-affected permafrost terrain in northern Alaska

In 2007, the Anaktuvuk River fire burned more than 1000 km2 of arctic tundra in northern Alaska, ~ 50% of which occurred in an area with ice-rich syngenetic permafrost (Yedoma). By 2014, widespread degradation of ice wedges was apparent in the Yedoma region. In a 50 km2 area, thaw subsidence was detected across 15% of the land area in repeat airborne LiDAR data acquired in 2009 and 2014. Updating observations with a 2021 airborne LiDAR dataset show that additional thaw subsidence was detected in < 1% of the study area, indicating stabilization of the thaw-affected permafrost terrain. Ground temperature measurements between 2010 and 2015 indicated that the number of near-surface soil thawing-degree-days at the burn site were 3 × greater than at an unburned control site, but by 2022 the number was reduced to 1.3 × greater. Mean annual ground temperature of the near-surface permafrost increased by 0.33 °C/yr in the burn site up to 7-years post-fire, but then cooled by 0.15 °C/yr in the subsequent eight years, while temperatures at the control site remained relatively stable. Permafrost cores collected from ice-wedge troughs (n = 41) and polygon centers (n = 8) revealed the presence of a thaw unconformity, that in most cases was overlain by a recovered permafrost layer that averaged 14.2 cm and 18.3 cm, respectively. Taken together, our observations highlight that the initial degradation of ice-rich permafrost following the Anaktuvuk River tundra fire has been followed by a period of thaw cessation, permafrost aggradation, and terrain stabilization.

Promoting Effective Refugee Protection in India: Balancing National Interests and International Obligations

In the background of the climate change, we estimate that one of the problems that humanity is to face in the near future concerns natural resources. In our view, water is one of the resources that will become increasingly important in the coming years by being on the way to diminishing. Force majeure events such as the vegetation fires or floods in the summer of 2023 show us that people and nature must be friends. Given that drinking water is vital for human existence, we believe that the proposed topic is of general interest and should be of concern not only to public authorities, but to the entire scientific community and to individuals, which makes it topical and important. The scope of the study is to analyse the issue of water, which means that, on the one hand, we will investigate the national regulatory framework but also comparative law to know how the legislator relates to water and, on the other hand, we will capture the current international trends in this field. By using research methods specific to law, we will underline the conclusion of our paperwork, that the protection of water resources is the responsibility of all of us: individuals, authorities, states, taking into consideration present and future generations. Keywords: public authorities; water; public good; Administrative Code; case-law.

Effect of Long‐Range Transported Fire Aerosols on Cloud Condensation Nuclei Concentrations and Cloud Properties at High Latitudes

AbstractActive vegetation fires in south‐eastern (SE) Europe resulted in a notable increase in the number concentration of aerosols and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) particles at two high latitude locations—the SMEAR IV station in Kuopio, Finland, and the Zeppelin Observatory in Svalbard, high Arctic. During the fire episode aerosol hygroscopicity κ slightly increased at SMEAR IV and at the Zeppelin Observatory κ decreased. Despite increased κ in high CCN conditions at SMEAR IV, the aerosol activation diameter increased due to the decreased supersaturation with an increase in aerosol loading. In addition, at SMEAR IV during the fire episode, in situ measured cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) increased by a factor of ∼7 as compared to non‐fire periods which was in good agreement with the satellite observations (MODIS, Terra). Results from this study show the importance of SE European fires for cloud properties and radiative forcing in high latitudes.

Investigation of fire regime dynamics and modeling of burn area over India for the twenty-first century.

The characteristics of the vegetation fire (VF) regime are strongly influenced by geographical variables such as regional physiographic settings, location, and climate. Understanding the VF regime is extremely important for managing and mitigating the impacts of fires on ecosystems, communities, and human activities in forest fire-prone regions. The present study thereby aimed to explore the potential effects of the confounding factors on VF in India to offer actionable and achievable solutions for mitigating this concurring environmental issue sustainably. A global burn area (250m) data (Fire-CCIv5.1) and fire radiative power (FRP) were used to investigate the dynamics of VF across seven different divisions in India. The study also used the maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, population density, and intensity of human modification to model forest burn areas (including grassland). The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project-6 (CMIP6) was used to predict the burn area for 2030 and 2050 future climate scenarios. The present study accounted for a sizable increasing trend of VF during 2001-2019 period. The highest increasing trend was found in central India (513 and 343 km2year-1 in the forest and crop fire, respectively), followed by southern India (364 km2year-1 in forest fire), and upper Indo-Gangetic plain (128 km2year-1 in crop fire). The FRP has varied significantly across the divisions, with the north-eastern Himalayas exhibiting the highest FRP hotspot. The maximum and minimum temperatures have the greatest influence on forest fires, according to Random Forest (RF) modeling. The estimated pre-monsoonal burn area for 2050 and 2050 future scenarios suggested a more frequent forest fire occurrence across India, particularly in southern and central India. A comprehensive forest fire control policy is therefore essential to safeguard and conserve forest cover in the regions, affected by forest fire periodically.