Fire-smart solutions for sustainable wildfire risk prevention: Bottom-up initiatives meet top-down policies under EU green deal

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 92, P. 103715 - 103715

Published: April 28, 2023

Fuel management for wildfire risk prevention generally lacks economic sustainability. In marginal areas of southern Europe, this limits fuel treatment programs from reaching the critical mass required treated area to modify landscape flammability, fire regime and its impacts. This study investigates key initiatives in EU countries. We compared local approaches through a bottom-up selection 38 initiatives, which we analyzed systematically set fire-smart criteria: sustainability, cost-benefit ratio, synergies inter-sectoral cooperation, integration between strategic planning multiple land governance goals (e.g., rural development, biodiversity conservation, energy supply), innovation knowledge transfer, adaptive management. summarized lessons learned most innovative by identifying solutions functional building sustainable at scale, under principles. These make synergistic use private, public European resources activate value chains that valorize products, by-products services generated activities their positive externalities on ecosystem services. The mechanisms include fire-marketing, Payment Ecosystem Services schemes, specific taxes, or environmental compensatory measures. catalyze interest stakeholders (economic actors, private owners, agencies) improving cost-efficiency contend Green Deal offers political backing framework (mainstreaming strategies funding opportunities) enable replication documented models prevention.

Language: Английский

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Mountain farmland protection and fire-smart management jointly reduce fire hazard and enhance biodiversity and carbon sequestration

Ecosystem Services, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 44, P. 101143 - 101143

Published: July 1, 2020

The environmental and socio-economic impacts of wildfires are foreseen to increase across southern Europe over the next decades regardless increasing resources allocated for fire suppression. This study aims identify fire-smart management strategies that promote wildfire hazard reduction, climate regulation ecosystem service biodiversity conservation. Here we simulate fire-landscape dynamics, carbon sequestration species distribution (116 vertebrates) in Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Gerês-Xurés (NW Iberia). We envisage 11 scenarios resulting from different following four storylines: Business-as-usual (BAU), expansion High Nature Value farmlands (HNVf), Fire-Smart forest management, HNVf plus Fire-Smart. Fire-landscape simulations reveal an up 25% annual burned area. areas may counterbalance this impact, especially when combined with (reductions 50% between 2031 2050). BAU attain highest estimates total sequestered. A decrease habitat suitability (around 18%) since 1990 is predicted conservation concern under scenario, while would support best outcomes terms Our highlights benefits integrating control, supply inform better decision-making mountain landscapes Southern Europe.

Language: Английский

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Incorporating fire-smartness into agricultural policies reduces suppression costs and ecosystem services damages from wildfires

Journal of Environmental Management, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 337, P. 117707 - 117707

Published: March 27, 2023

In southern Europe, land abandonment and an unbalanced investment toward fire suppression instead of prevention has gradually increased wildfire risk, which calls for a paradigm change in management policies. Here we combined scenario analysis, landscape modelling, economic tools to identify land-use policies would reduce the expected wildfire-related losses Transboundary Biosphere Reserve 'Gerês-Xurés' (Spain-Portugal). To do so, applied least-cost-plus-net-value-change approach estimated net changes damages based on their implications 2010–2050 period five ecosystem services: agriculture, pasture, timber, recreation climate regulation. Four scenarios were considered: (1) Business as Usual (BAU); (2) fire-smart, fostering more fire-resistant (less flammable) and/or fire-resilient landscapes (fire-smart); (3) High Nature Value farmlands (HNVf), wherein extensive agriculture is reversed; (4) combination HNVf fire-smart. best cost savings, but it generates lowest present value societal benefits from fact, most efficient with discounted costs services + fire-smart scenario, also savings agricultural expansion, lead significant reduction timber recreational benefits. Therefore, reverting through recultivation promoting tree species way hazard. this sense, payments should reward farmers landowners role prevention. This study improves understanding financial derived reducing spending damage by undertaking strategies, can be essential enhance local stakeholders' support Payments Ecosystem Services

Language: Английский

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Effects of fire recurrence and severity on Mediterranean vegetation dynamics: Implications for structure and composition in southern Spain

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 961, P. 178392 - 178392

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Most Mediterranean ecosystems have been profoundly shaped by wildfires, driving the evolution of plant species. Through photo interpretation and field inventories, this research assessed vegetation dynamics from 1984 to 2021, examining how fire severity recurrence, key regime variables, influenced changes in structure woody species diversity. Using two burn scars (1988 2006), we identified four scenarios dominated Pinus pinea tree species: control (unburned), areas burned once (either 1988 or twice (in both 2006). Areas affected high-severity fires experienced most pronounced expansion dense shrubland. However, when was moderate, wildfires led a significant decline understory cover open forests. regeneration recurrence. It absent with at least one but showed an increased compared moderate without Wildfires biodiversity, particularly high severity. The Sørensen Jaccard indices highest diversity recovery forest after single moderate-severity 1988. This study offers novel approach considering recurrence severity, along medium-term timeframe, contrast studies focusing on short-term fires. Monitoring spatio-temporal is crucial for guiding ecological restoration wildfire prevention strategies.

Language: Английский

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Adapting prescribed burns to future climate change in Mediterranean landscapes

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 677, P. 68 - 83

Published: April 25, 2019

Language: Английский

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Development of Comprehensive Fuel Management Strategies for Reducing Wildfire Risk in Greece

Forests, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 11(8), P. 789 - 789

Published: July 22, 2020

A solution to the growing problem of catastrophic wildfires in Greece will require a more holistic fuel management strategy that focuses broadly on landscape fire behavior and risk relation suppression tactics ignition prevention. Current protection planning is either non-existent or narrowly focused reducing fuels proximity roads communities where ignitions are most likely. effective would expand treatment footprint scales reduce intensity increase likelihood safe efficient activities. However, expanding programs Greek landscapes highly fragmented terms land use vegetation requires: (1) better understanding how diverse cover types contribute spread intensity; (2) case studies, both simulated empirical, demonstrate strategies can achieve desired outcomes behavior. In this study, we used Lesvos Island, as study area characterize different uses exposure wildfire simulation methods understand spreads among parcels forests, developed areas, other (shrublands, agricultural grasslands) way identify source–sink relationships. We then spatially coordinated program targeted prone conifer forests generally burn under highest intensity. The effects were measured post-treatment transmission. results demonstrated an optimized method for accounts connectivity types. also identified scale limitations relying small scattered units manage long-term risk.

Language: Английский

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Future impact of climate extremes in the Mediterranean: Soil erosion projections when fire and extreme rainfall meet

Land Degradation and Development, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 31(18), P. 3040 - 3054

Published: June 12, 2020

Abstract Climate change projections over the Mediterranean basin point toward an increase in frequency and intensity of extreme events that will directly impact ecosystems resilience. In this study, we evaluated future trends soil loss forestland Catalonia (NE Spain) due to fires vegetation dynamics, considering potential impacts co‐occurring fire rainfall events, assessing how suppression can contribute erosion mitigation. The process‐based MEDFIRE model was used simulate changes climate between 2011 2050 under six different scenarios resulted from combination two climatic three management policies. Annual on landscape were estimate using Universal Soil Loss Equation . Projected annual losses for forested land ranged 15 16 tons/ha, with simulating current levels projecting around −5% than those assuming more relaxed strategies. On average, explained 12–16% region, but fire‐severe years, they up 90% total loss. mean years where meet 150% higher both not contemporary. estimated probability co‐occur 0.09 0.11 scenarios. Our results highlight importance minimizing its ecosystems.

Language: Английский

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Territories in Transition: how social contexts influence wildland fire adaptive capacity in rural Northwestern European Mediterranean areas

Fire Ecology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 19(1)

Published: March 9, 2023

Abstract Background Rural and semi-rural areas are complex dynamic social-ecological systems, many of which have experienced profound impacts from wildland fires, particularly this decade. Under uncertain climate change conditions, these require new adaptive strategies to support landscape community resilience. While vary widely, some patterns local social context become apparent through fire research. These can help decision-makers better understand what influences communities’ abilities adapt fire. We focused our study on a northwestern European Mediterranean context, where communities adapting other varied programs policies. This area is composed diverse landscapes, cultures, histories, languages governance structures, but it also shares fire-based learning networks collaborations, providing sound indicator shared elements context. Our analyzed contexts in rural Spain, Italy France assessed how may inform capacity A two-step process achieved this: (1) targeted literature review as they relate Europe; (2) conducting semi-structured interviews with 20 key experts areas, including managers, foresters, administrators technicians. Results illustrate numerous that influence capacity. Dynamic relationships among residents, knowledge environmental movements, the role managers administrators, embeddedness broader sociopolitical trends all interconnect Some act primary enablers or barriers process, such presence (or lack) knowledge, opportunity lack thereof) for sustainable economic development. demonstrate high diversity terms structures development trajectories. Conclusions argue need deepened empirical transdisciplinary research connect land management tailored characteristics. Centering perspectives cultural values necessary foster long term globally.

Language: Английский

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Active governance of agro-pastoral, forest and protected areas mitigates wildfire impacts in Italy

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 890, P. 164281 - 164281

Published: May 20, 2023

Wildfire regimes affected by global change have been the cause of major concern in recent years. Both direct prevention (e.g., fuel management planning) and land governance strategies agroforestry development) can an indirect regulatory effect on wildfires. Herein, we tested hypothesis that active planning Italy mitigated wildfire impacts terms loss ecosystem services forest cover, burned wildland-urban interface, from 2007 to 2017. At national scale, assessed size potential fire drivers such as climate, weather, flammability, socio-economic descriptors, use changes, proxies for European funds rural development, investments sustainable management, agro-pastoral activities), including interactions, fire-related via Random Forest modelling Generalized Additive Mixed Model. Agro-forest districts (i.e., aggregations neighbouring municipalities with homogeneous agricultural characteristics) were used spatial units analysis. Our results confirm territories more show lower impacts, even under severe flammability climatic conditions. This study supports current regional, national, towards "fire resistant resilient landscapes" fostering agro-forestry, nature conservation integrated policies.

Language: Английский

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Evaluating forest resilience to global threats using functional response traits and network properties

Ecological Applications, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 30(5)

Published: Feb. 21, 2020

Ecosystem functions provided by forests are threatened direct and indirect effects of global change drivers such as climate warming land-use change, biological invasions, shifting natural disturbance regimes. To develop resilience-based forest management, new tools methods needed to quantitatively estimate resilience management future disturbances. We propose a multidimensional evaluation ecological based on species functional response traits (e.g., diversity redundancy) network properties forested patches connectivity, modularity, centrality). Using fragmented rural landscape in temperate south-eastern Canada reference landscape, we apply our approach evaluate two alternative strategies at three levels intensity: (1) enrichment current (2) multi-species plantations previously non-forested patches. Within each strategy, planted selected maximize diversity, drought tolerance, or pest resistance. further compare how under these responds simulated disturbances: drought, outbreak, timber harvesting. found that both enhance the scale increasing connectivity. Specifically, when less functionally diverse prioritized for is more effective than establishment resilience. In addition, randomly allocated increased connectivity those riparian areas. Our results show across various strategies, planting biodiversity led highest increase while pest-resistant Planting biodiversity-enhancing (i.e., diversity) mitigated equally well with drought-tolerant species. facilitates characterization disturbances using accounting importance The simulation used can be applied landscapes different biomes comparison initiatives

Language: Английский

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