Effects of Climate Change on Fire Danger

A special issue of Fire (ISSN 2571-6255).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 6847

Special Issue Editors

School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
Interests: forest fire
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Interests: remote sensing; forest; wetland

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to submit research manuscripts concerning technologies and approaches applied to the effects of climate change on fire danger.

Globally, fires are one of the most serious disturbances and are particularly prevalent in forests. Forest fires promote dynamic changes in ecosystem structure and function, have positive and negative impacts on ecosystems, and have a profound impact on human life and regional developments. With climate change and global warming, the frequency of forest fires is increasing and receives increasing attention as an integral part of global environmental change studies.

This Special Issue aims to collect research articles and reviews on original and innovative research regarding applications, methodologies, case studies, and reviews on new technologies and analytical methodologies dedicated to assessing fire danger and fire effects under climate change. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  1. Remote sensing for post-fire mapping;
  2. GIS applied in wildfire management;
  3. Forest fire detection and monitoring;
  4. Wildfire risk assessment under climate change;
  5. Wildfire behavior and prediction;
  6. Forest fire statistics and spatiotemporal variation;
  7. Prescribed burning effect on forest ecosystem.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Tongxin Hu
Dr. Wei Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fire is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • post-fire mapping
  • wildfire behavior
  • wildfire risk
  • fire weather
  • fire detection
  • remote sensing
  • GIS
  • spatial analysis

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 3621 KiB  
Article
Wildfire Burnt Area and Associated Greenhouse Gas Emissions under Future Climate Change Scenarios in the Mediterranean: Developing a Robust Estimation Approach
by Tim van der Schriek, Konstantinos V. Varotsos, Anna Karali and Christos Giannakopoulos
Fire 2024, 7(9), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7090324 - 17 Sep 2024
Viewed by 702
Abstract
Wildfires burn annually over 400,000 ha in Mediterranean countries. By the end of the 21st century, wildfire Burnt Area (BA) and associated Green House Gas (GHG) emissions may double to triple due to climate change. Regional projections of future BA are urgently required [...] Read more.
Wildfires burn annually over 400,000 ha in Mediterranean countries. By the end of the 21st century, wildfire Burnt Area (BA) and associated Green House Gas (GHG) emissions may double to triple due to climate change. Regional projections of future BA are urgently required to update wildfire policies. We present a robust methodology for estimating regional wildfire BA and GHG emissions under future climate change scenarios in the Mediterranean. The Fire Weather Index, selected drought indices, and meteorological variables were correlated against BA/GHG emissions data to create area-specific statistical projection models. State-of-the-art regional climate models (horizontal resolution: 12 km), developed within the EURO-CORDEX initiative, simulated data under three climate change scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5) up to 2070. These data drove the statistical models to estimate future wildfire BA and GHG emissions in three pilot areas in Greece, Montenegro, and France. Wildfire BA is projected to increase by 20% to 130% up to 2070, depending on the study area and climate scenario. The future expansion of fire-prone areas into the north Mediterranean and mountain environments is particularly alarming, given the large biomass present here. Fire-smart landscape management may, however, greatly reduce the projected future wildfire BA and GHG increases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Climate Change on Fire Danger)
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 3566 KiB  
Article
Effect of Climate Evolution on the Dynamics of the Wildfires in Greece
by Nikolaos Iliopoulos, Iasonas Aliferis and Michail Chalaris
Fire 2024, 7(5), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7050162 - 6 May 2024
Viewed by 1421
Abstract
Understanding the potential effects of climate change on forest fire behavior and the resulting release of combustion products is critical for effective mitigation strategies in Greece. This study utilizes data from the MAGICC 2.4 (Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse Gas-Induced Climate Change) [...] Read more.
Understanding the potential effects of climate change on forest fire behavior and the resulting release of combustion products is critical for effective mitigation strategies in Greece. This study utilizes data from the MAGICC 2.4 (Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse Gas-Induced Climate Change) climate model and the SCENGEN 2.4 (SCENarioGENerator) database to assess these impacts. By manipulating various model parameters such as climate sensitivity, scenario, time period, and global climate models (GCMs) within the SCENGEN 2.4 database, we analyzed climatic trends affecting forest fire generation and evolution. The results reveal complex and nuanced findings, indicating a need for further investigation. Case studies are conducted using the FARSITE 4 (Fire Area Simulator) model, incorporating meteorological changes derived from climate trends. Simulations of two fires in East Attica, accounting for different fuel and meteorological conditions, demonstrate an increase in the rate of combustion product release. This underscores the influence of changing meteorological parameters on forest fire dynamics and highlights the importance of proactive measures to mitigate future risks. Our findings emphasize the urgency of addressing climate change impacts on wildfire behavior to safeguard environmental and public health in Greece. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Climate Change on Fire Danger)
Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 4957 KiB  
Article
Modification and Comparison of Methods for Predicting the Moisture Content of Dead Fuel on the Surface of Quercus mongolica and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica under Rainfall Conditions
by Tongxin Hu, Linggan Ma, Yuanting Gao, Jiale Fan and Long Sun
Fire 2023, 6(10), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6100379 - 5 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1706
Abstract
The surface fine dead fuel moisture content (FFMC) is an important factor in predicting forest fire risk and is influenced by various meteorological factors. Many prediction methods rely on temperature and humidity as factors, resulting in poor model prediction accuracy under rainfall conditions. [...] Read more.
The surface fine dead fuel moisture content (FFMC) is an important factor in predicting forest fire risk and is influenced by various meteorological factors. Many prediction methods rely on temperature and humidity as factors, resulting in poor model prediction accuracy under rainfall conditions. At the same time, there is an increasing number of methods based on machine learning, but there is still a lack of comparison with traditional models. Therefore, this paper selected the broad-leaved forest tree species Quercus mongolica and the coniferous forest species Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica in Northeast China. Taking surface dead fine fuel as the research object, we used indoor simulated rainfall experiments to explore the impact of rainfall on the surface dead fuel moisture content. The prediction model for surface dead fuel moisture content was modified by the direct estimation method. Finally, using field data, the direct estimation method and convolution neural network (CNN) model were used in the comparison. The rainfall simulation results showed that the indoor fuel moisture content had a logarithmic increasing trend. Rainfall and previous fuel moisture content had a significant impact on the fuel moisture content prediction model, and both the relational model and nonlinear model performed well in predicting fuel moisture content under indoor rainfall conditions. Under field conditions, humidity, temperature and rainfall played a significant role in fuel moisture content. Compared with the unmodified direct estimation method, the modified direct estimation method significantly improved the prediction accuracy and the goodness of fit (R2) increased from 0.85–0.94 to 0.94–0.96. Mean absolute error (MAE) decreased from 9.18–18.33% to 6.86–10.74%, and mean relative error (MRE) decreased from 3.97–17.18% to 3.53–14.48%. The modified direct estimation method has higher prediction accuracy compared with the convolutional neural network model; the R2 value was above 0.90, MAE was below 8.11%, and MRE was below 8.87%. The modified direct estimation method had the best prediction effect among them. This study has a certain reference value for the prediction model of surface fuel moisture content in post-rainfall fire risk assessment and is also of great significance for forest fire management in Northeast China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Climate Change on Fire Danger)
Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 3155 KiB  
Article
Investigating Drought Events and Their Consequences in Wildfires: An Application in China
by Song Yang, Aicong Zeng, Mulualem Tigabu, Guangyu Wang, Zhen Zhang, He Zhu and Futao Guo
Fire 2023, 6(6), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6060223 - 2 Jun 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1759
Abstract
Understanding the impact of drought on fire dynamics is crucial for assessing the potential effects of climate change on wildfire activity in China. In this study, we present a series of multiple linear regression (MLR) models linking burned area (BA) during mainland China’s [...] Read more.
Understanding the impact of drought on fire dynamics is crucial for assessing the potential effects of climate change on wildfire activity in China. In this study, we present a series of multiple linear regression (MLR) models linking burned area (BA) during mainland China’s fire season from 2001 to 2019, across seven regions, to concurrent drought, antecedent drought, and time trend. We estimated burned area using Collection 6 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectradiometer (MODIS) and drought indicators using either the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) or the self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (sc-PDSI). Our findings indicate that the wildfire season displays a spatial variation pattern that increases with latitude, with the Northeast China (NEC), North China (NC), and Central China (CC) regions identified as the primary areas of wildfire occurrence. Concurrent and antecedent drought conditions were found to have varying effects across regions, with concurrent drought as the dominant predictor for NEC and Southeast China (SEC) regions and antecedent drought as the key predictor for most regions. We also found that the Northwest China (NWC) and CC regions exhibit a gradual decrease in burned area over time, while the NEC region showed a slight increase. Our multiple linear regression models exhibited a notable level of predictive power, as evidenced by the average correlation coefficient of 0.63 between the leave-one-out cross-validation predictions and observed values. In particular, the NEC, NWC, and CC regions demonstrated strong correlations of 0.88, 0.80, and 0.76, respectively. This indicates the potential of our models to contribute to the prediction of future wildfire occurrences and the development of effective wildfire management and prevention strategies. Nevertheless, the intricate relationship among fire, climate change, human activities, and vegetation distribution may limit the generalizability of these findings to other conditions. Consequently, future research should consider a broad range of factors to develop more comprehensive models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Climate Change on Fire Danger)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop