Vegetation Fires Research Articles

The Spatiotemporal Changing Dynamics of Miombo Deforestation and Illegal Human Activities for Forest Fire in Kundelungu National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the Kundelungu National Park (KNP), southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, illicit human activities including recurrent bushfires contribute to constant regression of forest cover. This study quantifies the landscape dynamics and analyses the spatio-temporal distribution of bushfire occurrence within KNP. Based on classified Landsat images from 2001, 2008, 2015 and 2022, the evolutionary trend of land cover was mapped and quantified through landscape metrics. The spatial transformation processes underlying the observed landscape dynamics were identified based on a decision tree. Finally, the spatio-temporal fire risk assessment was carried out after defining the burnt areas for each year between 2001 and 2022. The obtained results, expressed by the process of dissection and attrition of patches, show that the forest cover has regressed from 2339 km2 to 1596 km2 within the PNK, with an annual deforestation rate varying from 0.8% to 3.4% between 2001 and 2022. Over the same period, the average distance between forest patches has increased significantly, indicating fragmentation and spatial isolation. On the other hand, savannahs as well as field and fallow mosaics have expanded within KNP through the creation of new patches. In addition, several active fires affected more savannahs between 2001 (70 km2 in Integral Zone, 239 km2 in Annex Zone and 309 km2 in KNP) and 2022 (76 km2 in Integral Zone, 744 km2 in Annex Zone and 819 km2 in KNP), limiting their capacity to evolve into forests. Overall, anthropogenic pressure is higher in the Annex Zone of the KNP. Illegal agricultural development and vegetation fires have thus doubled the level of landscape disturbance in 21 years. Our observations justify the need to strengthen protection measures for KNP by limiting repeated human intrusions.

Observations on the effects of fire on East African Afroalpine vegetation

AbstractAn accidental fire that affected vegetation across an elevational gradient on the eastern slope of Mount Muhabura in Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) provided a unique opportunity to compare the richness, diversity, composition and elevational distribution of plant taxa across burned and unburned Afromontane habitats 1 and 9 years after the fire. Although richness and local α‐diversity were comparable, community composition differed across burned and unburned habitats with the former having a lower cover of woody perennials and a higher cover of herbaceous annuals. We confirm the role of fire in shaping Afromontane vegetation, which is important information for protected area management.

Holocene vegetation dynamics of Horqin Sandy Land in northern China inferred from the phytolith record of a sand-paleosol section

Ecosystems in arid regions with sandy substrates are vulnerable to various environmental challenges. Understanding the vegetation evolution of such regions over a long timescale and the possible drivers of change is important for optimizing ecological restoration. In this paper, we present multi-proxy data to understand Holocene vegetation dynamics and their drivers in the Horqin Sandy Land in northern China. Phytoliths are used to reconstruct vegetation; grain size and magnetic susceptibility are used to reconstruct the climate; and sedimentary charcoal contents and the numbers of regional archaeological sites are used to reconstruct the fire activity and human activity intensity, respectively. Results indicate that the Horqin Sandy Land was covered mainly by grassland vegetation during the Holocene, and that the trajectory of vegetation evolution was as follows: sparse and species-poor Leymus chinensis grassland from 9300 to 6150 cal yr BP, relatively sparse and species-rich mesophytic herb grassland from 6150 to 2300 cal yr BP, and dense and species-rich L. chinensis grassland from 2300 to 250 cal yr BP. Climate change was the main driver of vegetation evolution, but fire and human activities also influenced the vegetation to varying degrees. Fire made the greatest contribution to the vegetation change during the 6150–2300 cal yr BP interval, and human activities contributed throughout the 8200–2300 cal yr BP interval. The evolution of plant species richness and the number of C3 plants show a significant ∼1000-yr periodicity during 9300–4500 cal yr BP, which we speculate was caused by the effect of solar activity on East Asian monsoon intensity, which likely controlled the vegetation change on a millennial timescale.

Forest fires and fire protection

According to the data of the Republic Statistical Office of the Republic of Srpska for the period 2000‒2019, forest fires in the Republic of Srpska burned a total of 144,006 ha. Of that, state forests account for 112,965 ha (78.44%) and private forests for 31,041 ha (21.56%). The largest burned areas were recorded in 2012 (33,781 ha), and the lowest in 2018 (166 ha). The growth trend of burned areas is not statistically significant. In the case of deciduous stands in state forests, an increasing trend of burned areas was also found, which is not statistically significant. The maximum was recorded in 2012 (21,226 ha), and the minimum in 2018 (53 ha). The increase in the burned areas of coniferous stands in state forests is somewhat more pronounced, but it is also not statistically significant. The maximum value was recorded in 2017 (2,125 ha) and the minimum in 2014 (29 ha). In mixed stands of deciduous and coniferous forests (state forest), a statistically significant (0.05) trend of decreasing burned areas was recorded. The maximum was recorded in 2001 (3,180 ha) and the minimum in 2014 (12 ha). Of the total burned area in Republika Srpska, low fires account for 95.81% and high fires for 3.99%. It is considered that the main cause of forest fires in Republika Srpska is man, and there are also fires caused by mines left over from the war (1992‒1995). In the forests on the territory of the municipality of Han Pijesak (altitude 762 to 1,537 m) in the period 2003‒2010 total 31 fires were recorded in 2006, with a area of 137 ha burned. In 85% of cases, the cause was man, mines and explosives in 3%, lightning strikes in 2%, while in 10% the cause was not determined. In the Republic of Srpska, the southern part (i.e. the mesoregion of Trebinje) is the most endangered by forest fires. Numerous studies have established a link between climate indices and forest fires. In North America, the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and the Atlantic Decade Oscillation (AMO) operate mainly. The influence of ENSO is evident in parts of South America as well as in Southeast Asia. In Europe, the influence of AMO (France, Portugal), the Mediterranean Oscillation Index (MOI) (Romania), the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) (Northern Europe) has been determined. According to the hypothesis of the solar wind as the cause of fire, high-energy particles of the solar wind, originating from active regions and coronal holes on the Sun, penetrate the Earth's magnetic defenses and reach its surface where they cause vegetation fires. This hypothesis has been confirmed for the United States, Portugal, and some parts of Southeast Europe. Research on the relationship between climate indices and forest fires, as well as testing the hypothesis of the solar wind as the cause of fires should be conducted in the Republic of Srpska, and the obtained results could be used in the forecast of forest fires. In order to conduct this research, it is necessary to create a single database on forest fires in the Republic of Srpska. This database should contain the following data: location, time of occurrence, course, completion, extinguishing activities, engaged personnel and equipment, burned area and its structure, causative agent (if known), etc. Proposed measures for improving the state of forest fire protection in the Republic of Srpska include: proper selection of tree species for afforestation, development of fire averages while maintaining existing ones, raising biological fire zones, improving water supply and construction of water reservoirs, improving propaganda measures, improving fire safety equipment, improving fire safety equipment. participants in firefighting actions and the local population and the application of the results of scientific research.

Space-time analysis of vegetation fire in vacant lots in Araxá City, Minas Gerais

Fire in vacant lots is featured as hazardous type event related to human behavior. These events account for burning urban-zone vegetation, a fact that puts the local population in danger, leads to the emission of polluting gases, and even puts the patrimony at risk. The aim of the present study is to analyze the spatial distribution of wildfire in the vegetation of vacant lots in 2019 and 2020, in Araxá City, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The used data were collected from incident reports by Minas Gerais Military Fire Department. The study followed quantitative methods and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), based on space-time statistics, to detect occurrence clusters through a retrospective permutation method. Based on the results, fire cases in vacant lots happen more often between June and October, during the drought period. If one takes the whole year into account, those were the months accounting for the highest detection of clusters of fire events. In 2019, these events were recorded within shorter time intervals, and they were mainly observed in the city’s Northern portion. On the other hand, in 2020, these events were more often recorded in the Southern part of the city. This finding may point out that the vegetation cover consumed by wildfire within 1-year period-of-time does not recover to the extent of suffering with the same effects of burnings in the following year; this process results in different incidence sites. The space-time analysis can highlight places for straight intervention by the public power, and help allocating resources and preventing the impacts of these events.

Spatial and temporal analysis of vegetation fires in Europe

Spatial and temporal analysis of vegetation fires in Europe

Late-Holocene changes in vegetation composition and fire regimes in the subalpine western Nanling Mountains in subtropic China

Understanding the responses of vegetation composition to climate, fire regimes and human disturbance is crucial to provide valuable insights to protect current and future ecosystems. However, relevant studies were poorly performed on the heavily forested montane areas in subtropic East Asia. In this study, we present pollen and charcoal records from a 95-cm long peat core in the subalpine Daping swamp in the western Nanling Mountains in subtropic China, to discuss the possible interactions among vegetation, fire, climatic change, and human activities in the late-Holocene. Our results suggest that the vegetation in the study area was composed of deciduous–evergreen mixed forests with few fire events during 3140–630 cal yr BP, and its changes were mainly controlled by climate with rare human impacts reflected by low concentrations of charcoals, low proportions of Poaceae pollen, and high AP/NAP ratios. After 630 cal yr BP, pollen data indicate an obvious shift from dense forests to more open landscape. The sharp increase of charcoal concentrations, the extremely low AP/NAP and increased Poaceae percentages suggest that this vegetation shift is not only impacted by the dry climate conditions, but also by the intensified deforestation due to enhanced human activities such as the slash-and-burn cultivation, etc. This study reveals a vital transitional timing from the natural to the superimposed anthropogenic forcing of vegetation composition and fire regimes at ~630 cal yr BP. Regional comparison of charcoal records indicates that the onset timing of intensified human disturbance in the inland montane areas is much later than that in the coastal areas in subtropic China. We infer the obstacle impacts of the montane terrain and the different responses of the dissemination of agriculture and enhanced population migration have played a crucial role in this asynchronous spreading pattern.

Unrecorded Tundra Fires of the Arctic Slope, Alaska USA

Few fires are known to have burned the tundra of the Arctic Slope north of the Brooks Range in Alaska, USA. A total of 90 fires between 1969 and 2022 are known. Because fire has been rare, old burns can be detected by the traces of thermokarst and distinct vegetation they leave in otherwise uniform tundra, which are visible in aerial photograph archives. Several prehistoric tundra burns have been found in this way. Detection of tundra fires in this sparsely populated and remote area has been historically inconsistent and opportunistic, relying on reports by aircraft pilots. Fire reports have been logged into an administrative database which, out of necessity, has been used to scientifically evaluate changes in the fire regime. To improve the consistency of the record, we completed a systematic search of Landsat Collection 2 for the Brooks Range Foothills ecoregion over the period 1972–2022. We found 57 unrecorded tundra burns, about 41% of the total, which now numbers 138. Only 15% and 33% of all fires appear in MODIS and VIIRS satellite-borne thermal anomaly products, respectively. The fire frequency in the first 37 years of the record is 0.89 y−1 for natural ignitions that spread ≥10 ha. Frequency in the last 13 years is 2.5 y−1, indicating a nearly three-fold increase in fire frequency.

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons assessed by biomonitoring of firefighters during fire operations in Germany.

Firefighters are exposed to a variety of hazardous substances including carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during firefighting. In order to minimize the uptake of such substances into the body, firefighters wear personal protective equipment. Only few data exist from real-life firefighting missions and under common although highly variable exposure scenarios such as fighting fires in residential buildings, outdoor, and vehicle fires. The aim of this study is to assess the levels of 1-Hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) as marker for incorporated PAH during firefighting operations in Germany using biomonitoring methods. We analyzed urine samples for 1-OHP from 77 firefighters who reported firefighting operations (with and without creatinine adjustment). Urine samples were collected before (baseline) and, where applicable, after firefighting operations at three time points subsequent (2-4, 6-8, and 12h). Compared to the baseline measurements, mean 1-OHP concentrations after firefighting missions were doubled (0.14 vs. 0.31μg/L urine, 0.13μg/g vs. 0.27μg/g creatinine) and this increase was observed 2-4h after firefighting. Firefighting in residential buildings (N=54) and of outdoor and vehicle fires (N=17) occurred most frequently, whereas blazes, vegetation fires, and fires in underground facilities (N=6) were rarely encountered. For residential building fires, a 3-fold increase in mean 1-OPH concentrations was observed, whereas no increase could be observed for outdoor and vehicle fires. The highest increase was observed for firefighters with interior attack missions (0.11μg/L vs. 0.48μg/L 1-OHP) despite the use of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). During the suppression of outdoor or vehicle fires using SCBA, again, no increase was observed. Although PAH are taken up during certain firefighting missions, the 1-OHP levels almost entirely remained (in 64 of the 77 reported missions) within the normal range of the German general population, i.e., below the reference levels (95th percentiles) of smokers (0.73μg/g creatinine) and non-smokers (0.30μg/g creatine). Under study conditions, properly applied protective clothing and wearing of SCBA led to a significant reduction of PAH exposure levels. But there are individual situations in which PAH are increasingly incorporated since the incorporation depends on several factors and can be extremely variable. In contrast to many workplaces with high occupational exposure levels, firefighters are not exposed to PAH on a daily basis. Nevertheless, the possibility of an individual increased cancer risk for a particular firefighter cannot completely be ruled out.

Temporal and spatial analysis of vegetation fire activity in the circum-Arctic during 2001–2020

Vegetation fires become the concern worldwide due to their substantial impacts on climate and environment, and in particular in the circum-Arctic. Assessing vegetation fires and associated emissions and causes can improve understanding of fire regime and provide helpful information for vegetation fires solution. In this study, satellite-based vegetation fires and emissions during 2001–2020 were investigated and contributions of different types of fires were analyzed. Furthermore, climate anomalies related to extreme vegetation fires were explored. The main results showed that the region south of the Arctic circle (50°N−67°N) experienced a greater number of vegetation fires compared to the Arctic (north of 67°N). During 2001–2020, interannual variability of vegetation fires between 50°N and 67°N appeared to be decreasing while emissions (including carbon, dry matter, PM2.5, and BC) appeared to be increasing overall, which were contributed by the increasing summer boreal forest fires in this region largely. In the Arctic, vegetation fires and emissions increased in recent years distinctly, and those were dominated by the summer forest fires. Spatially, large increases of vegetation fires were located in the eastern Siberia and northern North America while large decreases were located in the northwestern Eurasia mainly. Additionally, in the Arctic, the unprecedented vegetation fires were observed in the eastern Siberia and Alaska in 2019 and in the eastern Siberia in 2020, which could be attributed to high pressure, high near-surface temperature, and low air moisture anomalies. Meanwhile, obvious anticyclonic anomalies in Alaska in 2019 and in the eastern Siberia in 2020 and cyclonic anomalies in the western Siberia in 2019, also played an important role on fire occurrences making drier conditions.

Novel climate–fire–vegetation interactions and their influence on forest ecosystems in the western USA

Abstract Climate, disturbance, vegetation response and their interaction are key factors in predicting the distribution and function of ecosystems across landscapes. A range of factors, operating through different pathways, are amplifying the feedbacks in this three‐way interaction. In the western USA, the relative strength of the influence of climate versus vegetation on fire activity varies spatially, realizing a diversity of fire regimes and fire‐selected species traits under historical conditions of climate–fire–vegetation interactions. Human intervention, via land use and fire‐exclusion, has homogenized frequent‐fire‐adapted forests in terms of structure and composition. Climate change is reinforcing the homogenization directly via increasing temperatures and drought and indirectly through climate‐driven tree mortality. The net effect will be forming novel climate–fire–vegetation interactions that act to homogenize fire regimes and catalyse large‐scale forest loss. While long‐term persistence of tree species in a given location may not be possible due to directional change of climate, slowing the rate of wildfire‐driven forest cover loss and maximizing the in‐situ persistence of a diversity of species will allow forest ecosystems to respond more incrementally to changing climate and provide an opportunity for ecosystem reassembly to occur from a large pool of species. As climate continues to change, management to resist wildfire‐driven forest cover loss may hinge on reducing forest density and creating a higher level of heterogeneity to reach the resistance and resilience exhibited by pre‐fire‐exclusion forests. Management operations should better leverage disturbance while strategically deploying silvicultural treatments to increase managed and prescribed fire. Further research is needed to improve our capacity for quantifying key mechanisms and system responses involved in the climate–fire–vegetation interactions and predicting how best to allocate resources to manage for functional forests. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Estimating leaf moisture content at global scale from passive microwave satellite observations of vegetation optical depth

Abstract. The moisture content of vegetation canopies controls various ecosystem processes such as plant productivity, transpiration, mortality, and flammability. Leaf moisture content (here defined as the ratio of leaf water mass to leaf dry biomass, or live-fuel moisture content, LFMC) is a vegetation property that is frequently used to estimate flammability and the danger of fire occurrence and spread, and is widely measured at field sites around the globe. LFMC can be retrieved from satellite observations in the visible and infrared domain of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is however hampered by frequent cloud cover or low sun elevation angles. As an alternative, vegetation water content can be estimated from satellite observations in the microwave domain. For example, studies at local and regional scales have demonstrated the link between LFMC and vegetation optical depth (VOD) from passive microwave satellite observations. VOD describes the attenuation of microwaves in the vegetation layer. However, neither were the relations between VOD and LFMC investigated at large or global scales nor has VOD been used to estimate LFMC. Here we aim to estimate LFMC from VOD at large scales, i.e. at coarse spatial resolution, globally, and at daily time steps over past decadal timescales. Therefore, our objectives are: (1) to investigate the relation between VOD from different frequencies and LFMC derived from optical sensors and a global database of LFMC site measurements; (2) to test different model structures to estimate LFMC from VOD; and (3) to apply the best-performing model to estimate LFMC at global scales. Our results show that VOD is medium to highly correlated with LFMC in areas with medium to high coverage of short vegetation (grasslands, croplands, shrublands). Forested areas show on average weak correlations, but the variability in correlations is high. A logistic regression model that uses VOD and additionally leaf area index as predictor to account for canopy biomass reaches the highest performance in estimating LFMC. Applying this model to global VOD and LAI observations allows estimating LFMC globally over decadal time series at daily temporal sampling. The derived estimates of LFMC can be used to assess large-scale patterns and temporal changes in vegetation water status, drought conditions, and fire dynamics.

ОЦЕНКА СОСТОЯНИЯ РАСТИТЕЛЬНОСТИ НА ОСНОВЕ МНОГОЛЕТНИХ ДАННЫХ СПУТНИКОВОГО МОНИТОРИНГА

In this study, MODIS satellite imagery data was processed for 2016 to identify areas with high fire danger, taking into account vegetation characteristics in 2016–2017. To assess the biodiversity of the territory and damage from vegetation fires, it is proposed an algorithm for the spatial and temporal analysis of vegetation fires distribution, taking into account their influence on vegetation transformation in the Russian Far East. The processing algorithm includes: the network imposition on the study area; obtaining satellite image fragments for the territory and converting the satellite image into operational-territorial units of a given size, with the transfer of attribute data over a multi-year period; forming vector layers of individual vegetation fires on the base of point placement or fires area, determining the nesting of individual fires in operational-territorial units and adding data on the condition of vegetation they arose on. The materials of the study contained both annual and daily vegetation data on the location of vegetation fires, based on MODIS satellite images, Terra spectroradiometer and Aqua Land Cover Modeling Grid Version 6. In the course of data analysis, 88 variants of vegetation condition transformation were found in the presence of from 1 to 11 fires. In 8604 cases, changes in the flora structure and quality were caused by an anthropogenic factor. In 40 variants, the transformation did not depend on fires. The maximum transformation is recorded in the following vegetation cover classes: small-leaved and broad-leaved forests, forest-steppes, steppes, meadows and arable land. Most cases of vegetation transformation in operational-territorial units (from 30 to 70%) are recorded when forest- steppe is turning to steppe.

ГЕОИНФОРМАЦИОННАЯ СИСТЕМА ОЦЕНКИ ВОЗНИКНОВЕНИЯ ПОЖАРНОЙ ОПАСНОСТИ СОПРЯЖЕННЫХ УЧАСТКОВ РАСТИТЕЛЬНОСТИ ПО ПРИРОДНО-АНТРОПОГЕННЫМ УСЛОВИЯМ

On the basis of a deterministic-probabilistic model for assessing the occurrence of fires of interconnected vegetation areas according to natural and anthropogenic conditions, a geoinformation system has been developed, consisting of a database and blocks for access to open data and searching adjacent neighborhoods, calculating meteorological and anthropogenic fire danger, and for regulating forest protection measures. Databases contain information about vegetation fires, data from hydrometeorological stations and anthropogenic sources. To account for the influence of interconnected areas on fire danger, a complex with an algorithm for searching vegetation quarters was used and its integration with the blocks of the geoinformation system was carried out. The architecture of the geoinformation system is based on a three-tier distribution, including a database server with API access support, an application broker and an application for visualization of calculation results. The API server stores structured data from open sources accessible via application exchange protocols, the application broker contains functions for data collection, calculation of indicators and their visualization in third-party applications. To build electronic maps, open data from the OpenStreetMap resource for the districts of the Russian Federation in the WSG 84 cartographic projection was used. Individual vegetation fires were obtained according to MODIS satellite monitoring data from 2013 to 2022. The attribute data of fires contain the identifier, the coordinates of the center, the area of ignition, the date of detection and elimination, the forest and non-forest area. Verification of the system is planned to be carried out in the fire season 2023–2024.

Fractal analysis revealed persistent correlations in long-term vegetation fire data in most South and Southeast Asian countries

Vegetation fires are most common in South/Southeast Asian countries (S/SEA). Characterizing the statistical nature of long-term fire datasets can provide valuable information on fire management. Specifically, distinguishing random noise from correlated noise in long-term signals is critical for linking with the underlying processes. Fractal methods can help to assess long-range correlations in long-term timeseries data. This study tested the daily time-series fire data retrieved from the VIIRS satellite (2012–2021) for fractal behavior. Descriptive statistics and popular Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) were used to assess fire characteristics and persistent versus non-persistent correlations. Results over South Asia (SA) suggested India with the highest mean fire counts (FC) and the least in Bhutan. Fire radiative power (FRP), an indicator of fire intensity, was highest in India and least in Afghanistan. Among Southeast Asia (SEA), Myanmar had the highest mean FC and FRP and least in Timor Leste. The DFA results revealed the fractal nature of FC in different countries. In SA, FC over India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bhutan showed persistent correlation behavior, whereas anti-persistence in Bangladesh and Pakistan. In addition, FRP showed anti-persistent behavior in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan and a persistent signal for Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. In contrast to SA, FC and FRP showed persistent behavior in all SEA countries. The persistent or non-persistence nature of the data can help model fire behavior to aid in management and mitigation efforts.

Black summer bushfires caused extensive damage to estuarine wetlands in New South Wales, Australia

SummaryThere is now considerable evidence that, as the climate continues to warm, bushfires are becoming more common and severe, particularly in regions such as south‐eastern Australia. The extraordinary Australian bushfires over the summer of 2019/2020 resulted in the burning of habitats such as highland peat swamps and intertidal estuarine wetlands over unprecedented spatial scales. Across New South Wales, these bushfires affected 183 ha of saltmarshes and 23 ha of mangroves in 19 estuaries. The percentage of fire‐affected saltmarsh ranged from 51% to 81% in the worst impacted estuaries, although typically ≤15% of mapped saltmarsh was damaged. Just over 50% of mangroves were burnt in Wonboyn Lake (although this constituted <0.2 ha), whereas in all other estuaries, ≤5% of mangroves were burnt. At the state‐wide scale, the likelihood of saltmarshes being affected by fire was unrelated to adjacent terrestrial vegetation; however, mangroves adjacent to burnt wet sclerophyll forest were more likely to burn than not. Burnt mangroves were almost exclusively associated with extreme or high severity fires in adjacent terrestrial vegetation, yet saltmarshes were also impacted in some cases by moderate or low‐intensity fires. Many species of saltmarsh plants had re‐sprouted or germinated after 6–24 months, but the extent of any recovery or changes in species composition were not quantified. The majority of fire‐affected mangrove trees appeared to be dead 24 months after the fires, despite observations of epicormic growth on some trees after six months. Bushfire impacts to estuarine wetlands are likely to become more frequent and results from our work can help target hazard reduction burning that might be considered for minimising damage to mangroves. More work is required to better understand potential longer term impacts and the capacity for natural recovery of estuarine wetlands from bushfires.

A method to produce a flexible and customized fuel models dataset

Simulation of vegetation fires very often resorts to fire-behavior models that need fuel models as input. The lack of fuel models is a common problem for researchers and fire managers because its quality depends on the quality/availability of data. In this study we present a method that combines expert- and research-based knowledge with several sources of data (e.g. satellite and fieldwork) to produce customized fuel models maps. Fuel model classes are assigned to land cover types to produce a basemap, which is then updated using empirical and user-defined rules. This method produces a map of surface fuel models as detailed as possible. It is reproducible, and its flexibility relies on juxtaposing independent spatial datasets, depending on their quality or availability. This method is developed in a ModelBuilder/ArcGis toolbox named FUMOD that integrates ten sub-models. FUMOD has been used to map the Portuguese annual fuel models grids since 2019, supporting regional fire risk assessments and suppression decisions. Datasets, models and supplementary files are available in a repository (https://github.com/anasa30/PT_FuelModels).•FUMOD is a flexible toolbox with ten sub-models included that maps updated Portuguese fuel models.

Seasonal range fidelity of a megaherbivore in response to environmental change

For large herbivores living in highly dynamic environments, maintaining range fidelity has the potential to facilitate the exploitation of predictable resources while minimising energy expenditure. We evaluate this expectation by examining how the seasonal range fidelity of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in the Kruger National Park, South Africa is affected by spatiotemporal variation in environmental conditions (vegetation quality, temperature, rainfall, and fire). Eight-years of GPS collar data were used to analyse the similarity in seasonal utilisation distributions for thirteen family groups. Elephants exhibited remarkable consistency in their seasonal range fidelity across the study with rainfall emerging as a key driver of space-use. Within years, high range fidelity from summer to autumn and from autumn to winter was driven by increased rainfall and the retention of high-quality vegetation. Across years, sequential autumn seasons demonstrated the lowest levels of range fidelity due to inter-annual variability in the wet to dry season transition, resulting in unpredictable resource availability. Understanding seasonal space use is important for determining the effects of future variability in environmental conditions on elephant populations, particularly when it comes to management interventions. Indeed, over the coming decades climate change is predicted to drive greater variability in rainfall and elevated temperatures in African savanna ecosystems. The impacts of climate change also present particular challenges for elephants living in fragmented or human-transformed habitats where the opportunity for seasonal range shifts are greatly constrained.

Post-Fire Forest Vegetation State Monitoring through Satellite Remote Sensing and In Situ Data

Wildfires have significant environmental and socio-economic impacts, affecting ecosystems and people worldwide. Over the coming decades, it is expected that the intensity and impact of wildfires will grow depending on the variability of climate parameters. Although Bulgaria is not situated within the geographical borders of the Mediterranean region, which is one of the most vulnerable regions to the impacts of temperature extremes, the climate is strongly influenced by it. Forests are amongst the most vulnerable ecosystems affected by wildfires. They are insufficiently adapted to fire, and the monitoring of fire impacts and post-fire recovery processes is of utmost importance for suggesting actions to mitigate the risk and impact of that catastrophic event. This paper investigated the forest vegetation recovery process after a wildfire in the Ardino region, southeast Bulgaria from the period between 2016 and 2021. The study aimed to present a monitoring approach for the estimation of the post-fire vegetation state with an emphasis on fire-affected territory mapping, evaluation of vegetation damage, fire and burn severity estimation, and assessment of their influence on vegetation recovery. The study used satellite remotely sensed imagery and respective indices of greenness, moisture, and fire severity from Sentinel-2. It utilized the potential of the landscape approach in monitoring processes occurring in fire-affected forest ecosystems. Ancillary data about pre-fire vegetation state and slope inclinations were used to supplement our analysis for a better understanding of the fire regime and post-fire vegetation damages. Slope aspects were used to estimate and compare their impact on the ecosystems’ post-fire recovery capacity. Soil data were involved in the interpretation of the results.

Analysis of the Fire Season of 2020 in the Mediterranean Bioclimatic Zone of Croatian Adriatic

Fire season in the Mediterranean bioclimatic area is most associated with the period from June to late October. Despite this, a large number of fires occur in February and March due to the intentional burning of agricultural lands. A characteristic of the Mediterranean region is the strong adaptation of vegetation to fire, though this adaptation also depends on the frequency and intensity of fires. This frequency is shown on satellite images via MODIS. This paper provides an overview of indicators of vegetation fires in the Croatian coast and karst coastal belt in the 2020 fire season. The 2020 fire season was above average in comparison with the period 2010 to 2019, with more fires than average and more burnt area. A specificity of the 2020 season is seen in the large number of fires in February and March. Fire protection in Croatia is facilitated by the use of new remote sensing technologies, in combination with the existing surveillance and monitoring methods, and organised protection systems to prevent open fires.