Fire
Between a rock and a hard place: The burdens of uncontrolled fire for smallholders across the tropicsBackgroundThe growing prevalence of uncontrolled tropical landscape fires significantly threatens tropical forests and causes substantial social and economic burdens. These burdens continue to be largely overlooked in favor of aggregate-scale losses like climate change and biodiversity, despite the severe local impacts on smallholder farming communities across the forested tropics. Furthermore, people often unfairly portray smallholders as the primary culprits of fire contagion due to their customary fire-based agricultural practices. This narrative is rooted in colonial-era condemnations. Open access copy available |
Reimagine fire science for the AnthropoceneBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Patterns and drivers of disturbance in tropical forest reserves of southern GhanaBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Evolution of wildfires, burned areas, and affected species in Middle Atlas forests (Morocco) from 2000 to 2020BackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Carbon sequestration and biodiversity following 18 years of active tropical forest restorationBACKGROUND:Vast tropical forests have been degraded and converted to other land uses such as agriculture. Degraded forests can regenerate naturally to improve biodiversity and carbon sequestration. However, major degradation factors, such as wildfires, hinder natural regeneration. Forest restoration can play an essential role in such circumstances. Nonetheless, research on methods to increase carbon storage and improve the ecosystem function of tropical forests is limited. Open access copy available |
Higher Fire Frequency Impaired Woody Species Regeneration in a South-Eastern Amazonian ForestBackground:The more and more common forest fires in the Amazon rainforest, caused after fire escape from pasture or deforested lands, cause unpredictable changes to the forest structure. Therefore, it is essential to assess the resilience of these ecosystems after being impacted by fire events and the likelihood of maintaining forest tree species and not being replaced by savanna species. Available with subscription or purchase |
Fire and tree species diversity in tropical peat swamp forestsBackgroundIndonesia houses a large quantity of peat swamps, an ecosystem type that contains diverse plant species, and provides a habitat for endangered animals. Peat swamps are degraded due to logging and agriculture expansion, specifically with the use of fire. Peat swamps are highly susceptible to fires due to peat flammability. Peat swamps also house a large quantity of carbon, so restoration is a high priority. Available with subscription or purchase |
Post-fire ecological restoration in Latin American forest ecosystems: Insights and lessons from the last two decadesBackgroundForests make up a significant portion of the earth’s aboveground biodiversity. Human-caused wildfires are a main driver of forest loss across Latin America and the Caribbean. The authors review literature to understand the causes of fires and strategies of post-fire restoration. They focus their search on more recent literature within the last two decades in order to highlight the most advanced methods. The authors also search for gaps in knowledge or application of fire restoration practices that may be hindering progress. Open access copy available |
The Effects of Prescribed Dry Season Burning on Woody Species Composition, Mole National Park, GhanaBackgroundSavannas are valuable ecological communities that support many species and are known to be heavily shaped by fire disturbances. Fire is a recognized tool for controlling excess fuel and improving habitat. However, it is thought that the timing and frequency of fire prescriptions may impact characteristics of savanna growth and composition. Open access copy available |
Assessment of causes that contribute to the occurrence of plantations forests fires in Niassa Province, North of MozambiqueBACKGROUNDThe government of Mozambique started to promote exotic forest plantations (pine & eucalyptus) because of low natural forest productivity, population growth and land use pressure. Niassa province was one of the provinces for this plantation program. However, fires in these commercial plantations have brought an enormous risk for companies, yet these companies provide the greatest source of employment for the local people. Open access copy available |
