The Influence of Wildfire Climate on Wildfire Incidence: The Case of Portugal

Published: June 7, 2024

Although the influence of climate on fire regime is unanimously recognized, most publications are studies this at global scale. Therefore, study aims to demonstrate role in incidence wildfires country and regional scale using statistical analysis machine learning methods. Mainland Portugal was chosen as a case due its because it European region affected by wildfires. Results signature spatial temporal distribution wildfire incidence. The conclusions include (i) existence two pyro-regions, with different types (Csb Csa) composed NUTS II regions: northern Norte Centro regions southern Alentejo Algarve; (ii) intra-annual variability wildfires, characterized peaks, one spring other summer, consequence country's type climate; and, (iii) how annual cycle varies over years depends weather conditions throughout each year. These results fundamental importance for managers, especially context change.

Language: Английский

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Spatiotemporal analysis of wildfires in Alberta, Canada over the past sixty years: Increased wildfire frequency by human activities

Journal of Environmental Management, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 380, P. 124963 - 124963

Published: March 23, 2025

Language: Английский

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Wildland-urban interface typologies prone to high severity fires in Spain

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 894, P. 165000 - 165000

Published: June 20, 2023

Language: Английский

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Fire severity shows limited dependence on fuel structure under adverse fire weather conditions: a case study of two extreme wildfire events

Fire Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 21(1)

Published: May 7, 2025

Language: Английский

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In-between Environmental Sustainability and Economic Viability: An Analysis of the State, Regulations, and Future of Italian Forestry Sector

Land, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 12(5), P. 1001 - 1001

Published: May 3, 2023

Forest management is a complex topic at the interface between sustainability and resilience of socioeconomic environmental systems. The influence market forces, supranational, country regional policies, as well climate change, on forest goods services, expected to increase in near future. Such interplay economic forces common most European countries. aim this study operationally delineate discuss transition viability forestry Italy. This encompasses typical Mediterranean ecosystems with broad coverage mountainous hilly areas, where expanding woodland areas have been observed last decades mainly consequence decline agropastoral activities, especially disadvantaged marginal areas. consequent wood biomass was frequently conceived an element criticality, exposing woods high vulnerability wildfires reduction their value, possibly exacerbated by local warming. These dynamics usually took place contexts only part overall heritage subjected regular management, despite efforts made through various policies such Constitutional Law 3/2001 recent Forests Forestry Supply Chains. latter policy tool, enhancing concept “active management” aimed establish sustainable approach resources, leading broader area for formal planning controlled harvesting. parallel inherent expansion certification schemes formally promoting long-term wider spectrum ecosystems. Timber non-wood materials products are key elements from perspective achieving (climate-neutral) development advanced economies.

Language: Английский

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FIREMAP: Cloud-based software to automate the estimation of wildfire-induced ecological impacts and recovery processes using remote sensing techniques

Ecological Informatics, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 81, P. 102591 - 102591

Published: April 7, 2024

The formulation and planning of integrated fire management strategies must be strengthened by decision support systems about fire-induced ecological impacts ecosystem recovery processes, particularly in the context extreme wildfire events that challenge land initiatives. Wildfire data collection analysis through remote sensing earth observations is utmost importance for this purpose. However, needs managers are not always met because exploitation full potential techniques requires a high level technical expertise. In addition, acquisition storage, database management, networking, computing requirements may present difficulties. Here, we FIREMAP software, which leverages Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud-based platform, an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI), European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) analyses collections. software allows automatic (i) machine learning-based burned area (BA) detection algorithms to facilitate mapping (historical) perimeters, (ii) severity spectral indices, (iii) post-fire trajectories inversion physically-based radiative transfer models. We introduce platform architecture GUI, implementation well-established science GEE, validation algorithm fifteen case-study wildfires across western Mediterranean Basin, (iv) near-future long-term planned expansion features.

Language: Английский

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Fire regime attributes shape pre-fire vegetation characteristics controlling extreme fire behavior under different bioregions in Spain

Fire Ecology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 20(1)

Published: May 13, 2024

Abstract Background Designing effective land management actions addressed to increase ecosystem resilience requires us understand how shifting fire regimes are shaping landscapes. In this study, we aim assess the link between regime and pre-fire vegetation biophysical characteristics (type, amount, structure) in controlling extreme behavior across Atlantic-Transition-Mediterranean bioregions Spain marked by different summer drought conditions dominant plant regenerative traits. We used remote sensing metrics estimate severity eight study areas recently affected large highly severe wildfires under environmental contexts. Furthermore, account for attributes, retrieved, each target wildfire, perimeter of past that occurred 1985 2022 calculated recurrence, time since last (TSLF), previous (FSPW). The effect attributes on was examined using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs). Results During period, recurrence decreased significantly all analyzed. Fire increased Atlantic Mediterranean context, where highest. Pre-fire fuel type amount were identified as primary drivers severity, being both strongly modulated but following distinct mechanisms depending context bioregion. sites, more frequent low moderate associated with a greater dominance fire-prone shrublands amounts, which increases risk wildfires. Similar trends Transition sites occurrence Specifically, long times after (> 30 years) conifer-dominated ecosystems analyzed, heightening susceptibility behavior. Conclusions Our findings highlight need adaptative strategies mitigate effects changes, these should be specific climatic ecological context.

Language: Английский

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Next-gen regional fire risk mapping: Integrating hyperspectral imagery and National Forest Inventory data to identify hot-spot wildland-urban interfaces

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 940, P. 173568 - 173568

Published: May 31, 2024

The increasing threat of high-severity wildfires in Mediterranean Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas demands to develop effective fire risk assessment and management strategies. Simultaneously, the newfound accessibility spaceborne hyperspectral data represents a significant potential for generating severity assessments, whereas National Forest Inventories (NFI) offer vast dataset related vegetation fuel loads, which is essential shaping planning strategies forest services. This research work aims advance state-of-the-art WUI mapping western Basin by combining PRISMA Spanish NFI data. proposed methodology had three main stages: (i) at local scale (a wildfire) using Multi-Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis (MESMA) leveraging field-based measurements Composite Burn Index (70 plots); (ii) development high probability map regional from extrapolation Random predictive model calibrated estimates, topo-climatic variables (overall accuracy = 92 %; Kappa 0.8); (iii) identification characterization zones that concentrate WUIs with if event occurs (hot-spot WUIs) crossing information previous cartography developed scale. Study area was Castilla y León Autonomous Region (larger region, 94,226 km

Language: Английский

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Multidecadal satellite-derived Portuguese Burn Severity Atlas (1984–2022)

Published: Aug. 1, 2024

Abstract. Long-term burn severity assessment can support better pre- and post-fire management plans. In this study, Portuguese Burn Severity Atlas was created containing historical fires in Portugal from 1984 to 2022. As prerequisites, fire data were gathered delimited for all years. Due the availability of satellite images, different years, imagery Landsat sensors (30 m) applied. Exploratory analysis showed that estimates are significantly affected by time lag between acquisition date. We explicitly incorporated effect degradation selection most suitable images each fire. Using Google Earth Engine, calculated equal or larger than 500 ha 2000 100 2001 2022 with known start end dates (valid fires). Different indices calculated, such as differenced Normalized Ratio (dNBR), relative dNBR (RdNBR), Relativized (RBR), a index combines enhanced vegetation (dNBR-EVI). Overall, Portugal, 4.92 M burned over 38-year period (1984–2022), which 3.19 million caused valid (64.8 %). Among these, total area 3.11 had via applied (97 % 63 Results show has experienced, on average, “high” throughout period, large percentages pixels 0.419 0.66 (29 %) > (20 Estimates provided more complete representation impacts. Via only three study dNBR-EVI potential differentiating “unburned” “regrowth” while RBR prone signal saturation, i.e., inability “very high” severity. However, in-depth research is needed fully confirm these properties. This atlas be accessed at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12773611 (Jahanianfard et al., 2024) used researchers have understanding fires, their corresponding impacts cover, air, soil, water quality, identification influential environmental climatical drivers

Language: Английский

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Megafire: An ambiguous and emotive term best avoided by science

Global Ecology and Biogeography, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 33(2), P. 341 - 351

Published: Dec. 1, 2023

Abstract Background As fire regimes are changing and wildfire disasters becoming more frequent, the term megafire is increasingly used to describe impactful wildfires, under multiple meanings, both in academia popular media. This has resulted a highly ambiguous concept. Approach We analysed use of ‘megafire’ media determine its origin, developments over time, meaning public sphere. subsequently discuss how relative ‘mega’ is, put this context an analysis Portuguese global data on size distribution. Results found that originated news 20 years before it appeared science. Megafire diversity languages, considers landscape fires as well urban fires, variety meanings addition size. What constitutes context‐dependent space given variation landscape, climate, anthropogenic controls, revealed examples from Netherlands, Portugal Global Fire Atlas. Moreover, does not equate impact. Conclusion Given diverse media, we argue redefining science potentially leads greater disparity between practice. widely emotive best left for For those wanting science, what should be defined by which used, metric one‐size‐fits‐all.

Language: Английский

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