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Recent Progress in Fire Ecology and Management in Tropical and...
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Recent Progress in Fire Ecology and Management in Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2024) | Viewed by 15909

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Emerson Monteiro Vieira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ecology, University of Brasília, Brasilia, Brazil
Interests: conservation biology; ecology; zoology
Dr. Isabel B. Schmidt

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ecology, Universidade de Brasília, Brasilia, Brazil
Interests: fire ecology; fire management; ethnoecology; ecological restoration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of Fire, entitled ‘Recent Progress in Fire Ecology and Management in Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems’. Fire is recognized as a fundamental ecological process with a pivotal role in shaping the evolution and function of several ecosystems worldwide. Fire events may cause local species extinction, modify populations and communities, drive successional patterns, and affect carbon and nutrient cycling. 

The occurrence of both natural and anthropogenic wildfires is markedly increasing around the globe. This increase is caused not only by climatic events (e.g., severe droughts and hotter days) but also directly by human activities. The tropical and subtropical ecosystems (including rainforests, seasonal forests, savannas, and grasslands) have been greatly affected by this increase in fire frequency. With this scenario, both researchers and managers are facing the challenge of developing adequate fire management strategies. However, good-quality and adequate scientific information regarding the effects of fire events (both natural and man-made) on these ecosystems is essential. 

In this Special Issue, we aim to stimulate the publication of scientific articles assessing the impacts of natural and anthropogenic fires on several aspects of subtropical and tropical ecosystems. We welcome studies that investigate the direct and indirect effects of fire on organisms and ecological processes in these ecosystems. We are also interested in studies investigating the efficacy of fire-management strategies for maintaining the biodiversity in these ecosystems and potentially reducing the occurrence of large, unplanned, and usually catastrophic wildfires. In this Special Issue, both original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Effects of fire management strategies on the biodiversity of tropical and subtropical ecosystems;
  • Effects of large wildfires on the biota in tropical and subtropical ecosystems;
  • Effects of fire on woody plant encroachment in tropical and subtropical ecosystems
  • Indirect effects of fire on tropical and subtropical ecosystems, including effects on nutrient cycling, plant successional patterns, and plant–animal interactions;
  • Effects of pyrodiversity on biodiversity in tropical and subtropical ecosystems;
  • Landscape fire management in tropical and subtropical ecosystems;
  • Identification and protection of fire-sensitive species in tropical and subtropical ecosystems.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Emerson Monteiro Vieira
Dr. Isabel B. Schmidt
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

  • biodiversity
  • fire behavior
  • fire ecology
  • fire management
  • fire regime
  • pyrodiversity
  • savannas
  • subtropical forests
  • tropical biota
  • tropical forests

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 (5 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 3572 KiB  
Article
Using a Cultural Keystone Species in Participatory Monitoring of Fire Management in Indigenous Lands in the Brazilian Savanna
by Rodrigo de Moraes Falleiro, Lívia Carvalho Moura, Pedro Paulo Xerente, Charles Pereira Pinto, Marcelo Trindade Santana, Maristella Aparecida Corrêa and Isabel Belloni Schmidt
Fire 2024, 7(7), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7070231 - 2 Jul 2024
Viewed by 929
Abstract
There is a consensus that fire should be actively managed in tropical savannas to decrease wildfire risks, firefighting costs, and social conflicts as well as to promote ecosystem conservation. Selection and participatory monitoring of the effects of fire on cultural keystone species may [...] Read more.
There is a consensus that fire should be actively managed in tropical savannas to decrease wildfire risks, firefighting costs, and social conflicts as well as to promote ecosystem conservation. Selection and participatory monitoring of the effects of fire on cultural keystone species may be an efficient way to involve local stakeholders and inform management decisions. In this study, we investigated the effects of different fire regimes on a cultural keystone species in Central Brazil. With the support of diverse multiethnic groups of local fire brigades, we sampled Hancornia speciosa (Apocynaceae) populations across a vast regional range of 18 traditional territories (Indigenous Lands and Quilombola Territories) as well as four restricted Protected Areas. We considered areas under wildfires (WF), prescribed burns (PB) and fire exclusion (FE) and quantified tree mortality, canopy damage, loss of reproductive structures and fruit production following a simplified field protocol. Areas with H. speciosa populations were identified and classified according to their fire history, and in each sampled area, adult plants were evaluated. We hypothesized that WF would have larger negative impact on the population parameters measured, while FE would increase plant survival and fruit production. We found that tree mortality, canopy damage, and loss of reproductive structures were higher in areas affected by wildfires, which also had the lowest fruit production per plant compared to PB and FE areas, corroborating our hypotheses. However, we also found higher mortality in FE areas compared to PB ones, probably due to plant diseases in areas with longer FE. Considering these results and that the attempts to exclude fire from fire-prone ecosystems commonly lead to periodic wildfires, we argue that the Integrated Fire Management program in course in federal Protected Areas in Brazil—based on early dry season prescribed fires—is a good management option for this, and likely other, cultural keystone species in the Brazilian savanna. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Fire Ecology and Management in Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems)
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15 pages, 1359 KiB  
Article
Effects of Fire Frequency Regimes on Flammability and Leaf Economics of Non-Graminoid Vegetation
by Arthur Lamounier Moura, Daniel Negreiros and Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
Fire 2023, 6(7), 265; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6070265 - 4 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2147
Abstract
Fire is an ecological factor that strongly influences plant communities and functional traits. Communities respond differently to fire, either decreasing or increasing in flammability and resource acquisition strategies. This study aimed to investigate the influence of fire over traits associated with flammability and [...] Read more.
Fire is an ecological factor that strongly influences plant communities and functional traits. Communities respond differently to fire, either decreasing or increasing in flammability and resource acquisition strategies. This study aimed to investigate the influence of fire over traits associated with flammability and the plant economic spectrum in a stressful and infertile mountainous grassland located in the Espinhaço mountain range in Brazil. Non-graminoid plant species were sampled in 60 5 m × 5 m plots distributed in three fire frequency categories. We measured several traits related to flammability—leaf dry matter content (LDMC), twig dry matter content, leaf area, bark thickness, branching architecture, plant height, leaf toughness (LT), and specific leaf area (SLA). Traits responded differently to the increase in fire frequency. For instance, the LDMC and LT were lower while the SLA was higher at high fire frequencies, indicating a trend towards reduced heat release and fire residence time. This shift resulted in the dominance of plants with a relatively more acquisitive strategy. This study brings evidence that traits respond coordinately towards a reduction of flammability with the increase in fire frequency and are strong indicators of the filtering role that fire plays as a disturbance on rupestrian grassland vegetation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Fire Ecology and Management in Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems)
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15 pages, 1601 KiB  
Article
Forest Degradation in the Southwest Brazilian Amazon: Impact on Tree Species of Economic Interest and Traditional Use
by Jessica Gomes Costa, Philip Martin Fearnside, Igor Oliveira, Liana Oighenstein Anderson, Luiz Eduardo Oliveira e Cruz de Aragão, Marllus Rafael Negreiros Almeida, Francisco Salatiel Clemente, Eric de Souza Nascimento, Geane da Conceição Souza, Adriele Karlokoski, Antonio Willian Flores de Melo, Edson Alves de Araújo, Rogério Oliveira Souza, Paulo Maurício Lima de Alencastro Graça and Sonaira Souza da Silva
Fire 2023, 6(6), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6060234 - 13 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2298
Abstract
Amazonian biodiversity has been used for generations by human populations, especially by Indigenous peoples and traditional communities in their cultural, social and economic practices. However, forest degradation, driven by forest fires, has threatened the maintenance of these resources. This study examined the effects [...] Read more.
Amazonian biodiversity has been used for generations by human populations, especially by Indigenous peoples and traditional communities in their cultural, social and economic practices. However, forest degradation, driven by forest fires, has threatened the maintenance of these resources. This study examined the effects of recent forest fires on species with timber, non-timber and multiple-use potential in Brazil’s state of Acre. Forest inventories in five forest types were analyzed, identifying species with timber, non-timber and multiple-use potential based on a review of existing scientific articles, books and studies in the technical literature. The indicators of the effect of forest fires on species density were based on the mean and standard deviation of tree density and absolute abundance. We found that 25% of the tree individuals have potential for use by humans, 12.6% for timber, 10.7% non-timber and 1.4% have multiple-use potential. With the negative impact of fire, the reduction in timber, non-timber and multiple-use potential can range from 2 to 100%, depending on the vegetation type and especially on the recurrence of fire. However, even in forests that are degraded by fire, species that are useful to humans can be maintained to a certain degree and contribute to other environmental services, thus they must be preserved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Fire Ecology and Management in Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems)
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21 pages, 1702 KiB  
Article
Species-Specific Responses of Medium and Large Mammals to Fire Regime Attributes in a Fire-Prone Neotropical Savanna
by Clarice Vieira Souza, Águeda Lourenço and Emerson Monteiro Vieira
Fire 2023, 6(3), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6030110 - 10 Mar 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2986
Abstract
Fire occurrence affects the distribution of key resources for fauna in natural ecosystems worldwide. For fire management strategies adequate for biodiversity conservation, the understanding of how species respond to fire-induced changes is essential. In this study, we investigated the role of fire regimes [...] Read more.
Fire occurrence affects the distribution of key resources for fauna in natural ecosystems worldwide. For fire management strategies adequate for biodiversity conservation, the understanding of how species respond to fire-induced changes is essential. In this study, we investigated the role of fire regimes on spaces used by medium and large mammals at multiple spatial scales (0.8 ha to 78.5 ha) in a fire-prone savanna ecosystem (Brazilian Cerrado). We sampled mammals using 60 camera traps distributed in 30 sampling units located in grassland and typical savanna formations. We applied single-species occupancy models and AIC-based model selection to assess how mammals use the space in response to pyrodiversity (both diversity of fire frequencies and diversity of fire ages), the proportion of recently burned area, and the proportion of long-unburned area while accounting for detectability. Our results showed that fire regime variables affected the study species differently. Deer species used the space regardless of mosaic pyrodiversity and the proportion of specific fire ages. Fire-related variables, however, affected space use by tapirs and maned wolves. Tapirs preferred to use fire mosaics with lower diversity of fire frequencies, whereas maned wolves more intensively used mosaics with high fire age diversity and a high proportion of recently burned areas. Based on our findings, we recommend that fire management targeting specific mammal species should not necessarily focus on maximum pyrodiversity. Instead, we suggest a management strategy combining “patch mosaic burning” with the maintenance of specific fire-age patches suitable for different species’ requirements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Fire Ecology and Management in Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems)
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Review

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21 pages, 1525 KiB  
Review
In Case of Fire, Escape or Die: A Trait-Based Approach for Identifying Animal Species Threatened by Fire
by Eugênia K. L. Batista, José E. C. Figueira, Ricardo R. C. Solar, Cristiano S. de Azevedo, Marina V. Beirão, Christian N. Berlinck, Reuber A. Brandão, Flávio S. de Castro, Henrique C. Costa, Lílian M. Costa, Rodrigo M. Feitosa, André V. L. Freitas, Guilherme H. S. Freitas, Conrado A. B. Galdino, José E. Santos Júnior, Felipe S. Leite, Leonardo Lopes, Sandra Ludwig, Maria C. do Nascimento, Daniel Negreiros, Yumi Oki, Henrique Paprocki, Lucas N. Perillo, Fernando A. Perini, Fernando M. Resende, Augusto H. B. Rosa, Luiz F. Salvador, Jr., Larissa M. Silva, Luis F. Silveira, Og DeSouza, Emerson M. Vieira and Geraldo Wilson Fernandesadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Fire 2023, 6(6), 242; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6060242 - 18 Jun 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5895
Abstract
Recent studies have argued that changes in fire regimes in the 21st century are posing a major threat to global biodiversity. In this scenario, incorporating species’ physiological, ecological, and evolutionary traits with their local fire exposure might facilitate accurate identification of species most [...] Read more.
Recent studies have argued that changes in fire regimes in the 21st century are posing a major threat to global biodiversity. In this scenario, incorporating species’ physiological, ecological, and evolutionary traits with their local fire exposure might facilitate accurate identification of species most at risk from fire. Here, we developed a framework for identifying the animal species most vulnerable to extinction from fire-induced stress in the Brazilian savanna. The proposed framework addresses vulnerability from two components: (1) exposure, which refers to the frequency, extent, and magnitude to which a system or species experiences fire, and (2) sensitivity, which reflects how much species are affected by fire. Sensitivity is based on biological, physiological, and behavioral traits that can influence animals’ mortality “during” and “after” fire. We generated a Fire Vulnerability Index (FVI) that can be used to group species into four categories, ranging from extremely vulnerable (highly sensible species in highly exposed areas), to least vulnerable (low-sensitivity species in less exposed areas). We highlight the urgent need to broaden fire vulnerability assessment methods and introduce a new approach considering biological traits that contribute significantly to a species’ sensitivity alongside regional/local fire exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Fire Ecology and Management in Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems)
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