Understanding fire regimes in Europe

Galizia, Luiz Felipe ; Curt, Thomas ; Barbero, Renaud ; Rodrigues, Marcos (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Wildland fire effects are strongly associated with fire regime characteristics. Here, we developed the first European pyrogeography based on different fire regime components to better understand fire regimes across the continent. We identified four large-scale pyroregions: a non-fire-prone (NFP) pyroregion featuring nominal fire activity across central and northern Europe; a cool-season fire (CSF) pyroregion scattered throughout Europe; a fire-prone (FP) pyroregion extending mostly across southern Europe; and a highly fire-prone (HFP) pyroregion spanning across northern Portugal, Sicily, and western Balkans. Land cover analysis indicates that pyroregions were first shaped by vegetation and then by anthropogenic factors. On interannual timescales the spatial extent of pyroregions was found to vary, with NFP showing more stability. Interannual correlations between climate and burned area, fire frequency, and the length of fire period exhibited distinct patterns, strengthening in fire-prone pyroregions (FP and HFP) and weakening in NFP and CSF. Proportion of cool-season fires and large fires were related to fuel accumulation in fire-prone pyroregions. Overall, our findings indicate that such a pyrogeography should allow a more accurate estimate of the effects of climate on fire regimes while providing an appropriate framework to better understand fire in Europe.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1071/WF21081

Año: 2021

Publicado en: International Journal of Wildland Fire 31, 1 (2021), 56-66
ISSN: 1049-8001

Factor impacto JCR: 3.398 (2021)

Categ. JCR: FORESTRY rank: 12 / 69 = 0.174 (2021) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 5.7 - Environmental Science (Q1) - Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Q1)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.847 - Forestry (Q1) - Ecology (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/101003890/EU/FIREURISK - DEVELOPING A HOLISTIC, RISK-WISE STRATEGY FOR EUROPEAN WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT/FirEUrisk

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Análisis Geográfico Regi. (Dpto. Geograf. Ordenac.Territ.)