Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Carlos Henrique Pires Luiz, Valdir Adilson Steinke
Summary: This study aims to investigate the correlation between recent Brazilian environmental policies and deforestation rates in the Cerrado region over the past 20 years. The findings suggest that improvements in environmental legislation between 2005 and 2012, as well as the implementation of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR), have contributed to a decrease in deforestation rates. However, changes in the political landscape since 2016, characterized by increased influence from the agribusiness sector and a more conservative agenda, pose a threat to Brazil's environmental quality.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sihan Li, Sarah N. Sparrow, Friederike E. L. Otto, Sami W. Rifai, Imma Oliveras, Folmer Krikken, Liana O. Anderson, Yadvinder Malhi, David Wallom
Summary: The strongest El Nino event in 2015 resulted in extreme drought conditions in Brazil, leading to increased fire danger. This study found that human-induced climate change contributed to the fire weather conditions in the Cerrado and southern Amazonia, especially on shorter timescales. Adaptation measures, such as improved drought monitoring and warning systems, are crucial for effective planning of fire prevention and disaster preparedness.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Juli G. Pausas, Jon E. Keeley
Summary: Wildfires occur when fire thresholds are crossed, and anomalous weather events may enhance the likelihood and spread of wildfires. Climate change increases the frequency with which some thresholds are crossed, but other factors like altered ignition patterns and fuel structures also play a significant role in global fire-regime changes. The size of a fire ultimately depends on the duration of fire weather and the availability of continuous fuels in the landscape.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Filippe L. M. Santos, Joana Nogueira, Rodrigo A. F. de Souza, Rodrigo M. Falleiro, Isabel B. Schmidt, Renata Libonati
Summary: The implementation of an Integrated Fire Management program in the Brazilian savanna has effectively reduced large wildfires and emissions, changing the prevalent fire season to a more controlled management fire season. Prescribed burning played a crucial role in this process, leading to a significant decrease in the areas affected by high fire recurrence.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jose Manuel Fernandez-Guisuraga, Samuel Martins, Paulo M. Fernandes
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between fire behavior and environmental controls in mainland Portugal, finding that forest type and extreme weather are major factors contributing to the size and severity of wildfires. The results suggest that, in the context of global change, pre-fire fuel management should prioritize expanding the weather conditions under which fire control is possible and promoting the growth of less flammable and more resilient forest types.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maxwell R. Oliveira, Bruno H. S. Ferreira, Evaldo B. Souza, Aline A. Lopes, Fabio P. Bolzan, Fabio O. Roque, Arnildo Pott, Alexandre M. M. Pereira, Leticia C. Garcia, Geraldo A. Damasceno Jr, Ademilson Costa, Mesaque Rocha, Silvio Xavier, Rubens A. Ferraz, Danilo B. Ribeiro
Summary: The fire management conducted by indigenous fire brigades in the Kadiweu Indigenous Territory has been effective in reducing the frequency and size of fires, as well as minimizing the influence of climate on fire patterns. This highlights the importance of integrating traditional indigenous knowledge with fire management policies for effective strategies.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Judit Lecina-Diaz, Maria-Luisa Chas-Amil, Nuria Aquilue, Angelo Sil, Lluis Brotons, Adrian Regos, Julia Touza
Summary: In southern Europe, land abandonment and an unbalanced investment toward fire suppression have increased wildfire risk. This study combines scenario analysis, fire landscape modelling, and economic tools to identify land-use policies that can reduce wildfire-related losses in the Geres-Xures Transboundary Biosphere Reserve. The combination of High Nature Value farmlands (HNVf) and fire-smart land-use strategies is the most efficient way to reduce wildfire hazard and minimize damages.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Francisco Tello, Mauro E. Gonzalez, Estefania Mico, Nelson Valdivia, Fernanda Torres, Antonio Lara, Alejandra Garcia-Lopez
Summary: The occurrence of short-interval, severe wildfires is increasing globally, even in areas with historically long fire-return intervals. This study investigates the impact of recent short-interval, severe wildfires on diversity in Chilean forests. The results show that these wildfires drastically reduce species richness and alter the composition of beetle assemblages, with habitat quality and quantity playing a significant role.
Article
Thermodynamics
Adriana Palacios, Derek Bradley
Summary: This paper first reviews the mode of generation, properties, and operational regimes of fire whirls under controlled experimental conditions. A modified analytical approach is then described for wildfires, aiming to define the regimes of possible fire whirl generation based on global energy levels and fire spread rates. Although the accuracy is not on par with laboratory flames, the approach appears to be practically sufficient.
COMBUSTION AND FLAME
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Antonio Girona-Garcia, Carola Cretella, Cristina Fernandez, Peter R. Robichaud, Diana C. S. Vieira, Jan Jacob Keizer
Summary: Wildfires can have significant impacts on forest areas, causing hydrological and erosive responses that have environmental, human, cultural, and financial consequences. This study reviews the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of post-fire soil erosion control measures, finding that treatments that provide a protective ground cover, such as agricultural straw mulch, are the most cost-effective.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alexandra D. Syphard, Jon E. Keeley, Mike Gough, Mitchell Lazarz, John Rogan
Summary: The study found that destructive fires are at least an order of magnitude larger than non-destructive fires and have higher fire severity. The primary factors leading to destructive and non-destructive fires vary by region, reflecting the complexity of decision-making for reducing wildfire risk.
Article
Thermodynamics
Naian Liu, Jiao Lei, Wei Gao, Haixiang Chen, Xiaodong Xie
Summary: Large-scale wildfires, although rare, result in significant suppression costs, economic losses, and damages to natural resources. Research attention on these wildfires has increased, focusing on the complex interactions of combustion with heat transfer and atmospheric flow. Strategies to mitigate large-scale wildfires remain a challenging research focus.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMBUSTION INSTITUTE
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Ubirajara Oliveira, Britaldo Soares-Filho, William Leles de Souza Costa, Leticia Gomes, Mercedes Bustamante, Heloisa Miranda
Summary: Accurate estimation of fire risk is crucial for prevention and firefighting. Climate seasonality was identified as the main factor influencing fuel loads dynamics. The developed fire risk model utilizes burned areas and fuel loads to calculate the posterior probability of fire spread.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Sean A. Parks, Lisa M. Holsinger, Kori Blankenship, Gregory K. Dillon, Sara A. Goeking, Randy Swaty
Summary: Dry conifer forests in the western US have experienced a reduction in fire frequency due to human activities, leading to an increased risk of severe fires. Contemporary fires have experienced significantly more stand-replacing fire compared to pre-colonization periods. Non-wilderness areas have a slightly higher prevalence of stand-replacing fire compared to wilderness areas. Unless restoration efforts to prevent stand-replacing fire are accelerated, the long-term persistence of dry conifer forests is in jeopardy.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Renan Le Roux, Fabien Wagner, Lilian Blanc, Julie Betbeder, Valery Gond, Helene Dessard, Beatriz Funatzu, Clement Bourgoin, Guillaume Cornu, Bruno Herault, Frederique Montfort, Plinio Sist, Agnes Begue, Vincent Dubreuil, Francois Laurent, Francois Messner, Ali Fadhil Hasan, Damien Arvor
Summary: This study used remote sensing data to examine the greening of tropical forests and found that greening in fire degraded forests is more dependent on water resources. It is expected that under climate change, increased drought and fire occurrences may lead to long-term drying of tropical forests.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ludivine Eloy, Isabel Belloni Schmidt, Silvia Laine Borges, Maxmiller Cardoso Ferreira, Teomenilton A. dos Santos
Article
Plant Sciences
Andre Ganem Coutinho, Monique Alves, Alexandre Bonesso Sampaio, Isabel Belloni Schmidt, Daniel Luis Mascia Vieira
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Livia C. Moura, Aldicir O. Scariot, Isabel B. Schmidt, Robin Beatty, Jeremy Russell-Smith
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2019)
Article
Plant Sciences
Fabian Borghetti, Luciana Aparecida Zago de Andrade, Isabel Belloni Schmidt, Eduardo Rogerio Moribe Barbosa
Article
Ecology
Alexandre B. Sampaio, Daniel L. M. Vieira, Karen D. Holl, Keiko F. Pellizzaro, Monique Alves, Andre G. Coutinho, Alba Cordeiro, Jose Felipe Ribeiro, Isabel B. Schmidt
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2019)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joseph W. Veldman, Julie C. Aleman, Swanni T. Alvarado, T. Michael Anderson, Sally Archibald, William J. Bond, Thomas W. Boutton, Nina Buchmann, Elise Buisson, Josep G. Canadell, Michele de Sa Dechoum, Milton H. Diaz-Toribio, Giselda Durigan, John J. Ewel, G. Wilson Fernandes, Alessandra Fidelis, Forrest Fleischman, Stephen P. Good, Daniel M. Griffith, Julia-Maria Hermann, William A. Hoffmann, Soizig Le Stradic, Caroline E. R. Lehmann, Gregory Mahy, Ashish N. Nerlekar, Jesse B. Nippert, Reed F. Noss, Colin P. Osborne, Gerhard E. Overbeck, Catherine L. Parr, Juli G. Pausas, R. Toby Pennington, Michael P. Perring, Francis E. Putz, Jayashree Ratnam, Mahesh Sankaran, Isabel B. Schmidt, Christine B. Schmitt, Fernando A. O. Silveira, A. Carla Staver, Nicola Stevens, Christopher J. Still, Caroline A. E. Stromberg, Vicky M. Temperton, J. Morgan Varner, Nicholas P. Zaloumis
Review
Ecology
Elise Buisson, Alessandra Fidelis, Gerhard E. Overbeck, Isabel B. Schmidt, Giselda Durigan, Truman P. Young, Swanni T. Alvarado, Andre J. Arruda, Sylvain Boisson, William Bond, Andre Coutinho, Kevin Kirkman, Rafael S. Oliveira, Melissa H. Schmitt, Frances Siebert, Stefan J. Siebert, Dave I. Thompson, Fernando A. O. Silveira
Summary: The article discusses the importance of restoring biodiverse tropical and subtropical grassy biomes and highlights the need for further research to improve the restoration process. The research priorities identified include understanding undervaluation of TGB, mapping restoration opportunities, recognizing natural regeneration potential, improving seed quality, and monitoring restoration outcomes. Such research has the potential to advance theory, policy, and practice in TGB restoration, ultimately benefiting people and nature in neglected ecosystems.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bernardo M. Flores, Michele de Sa Dechoum, Isabel B. Schmidt, Marina Hirota, Anna Abrahao, Larissa Verona, Luisa L. F. Pecoral, Marcio B. Cure, Andre L. Giles, Patricia de Britto Costa, Matheus B. Pamplona, Guilherme G. Mazzochini, Peter Groenendijk, Gessica L. Minski, Gabriel Wolfsdorf, Alexandre B. Sampaio, Fernanda Piccolo, Lorena Melo, Renato Fiacador de Lima, Rafael S. Oliveira
Summary: The study reveals that riparian forests in tropical savanna landscapes are at risk from large wildfires, which may lead to a shift in the ecosystem and impact trophic networks. Management strategies to maintain riparian forests resilience in the face of intensifying wildfire regimes are needed.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana Carla dos Santos, Samuel da Rocha Montenegro, Maxmiller Cardoso Ferreira, Ana Carolina Sena Barradas, Isabel Belloni Schmidt
Summary: Fire is an essential ecological disturbance, but human-induced wildfires are increasingly posing threats to native ecosystems and human lives. With climate change and deforestation altering the roles of environmental drivers in fire behavior, reassessing the main determinants of fire behavior is crucial for safe and adaptive fire management planning. Our study highlights the significance of environmental variables, particularly humidity, temperature, wind speed, and fuel load, in predicting fire behavior and underscores the importance of considering these factors in fire management strategies in the context of a changing climate.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Gabriel Wolfsdorf, Anna Abrahao, Andre M. D'Angioli, Michele de Sa Dechoum, Sergio T. Meirelles, Luisa F. L. Pecoral, Lucy Rowland, Larissa da Silveira Verona, Isabel B. Schmidt, Alexandre B. Sampaio, Rafael S. Oliveira
Summary: This study suggests that invasive species and soil inocula play important roles in restoration efforts in tropical grasslands, with different plant species showing varied responses to soil microbes. Additionally, legacies of some plant species may limit their effectiveness for restoration purposes.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Fernando A. O. Silveira, Carlos A. Ordonez-Parra, Livia C. Moura, Isabel B. Schmidt, Alan N. Andersen, William Bond, Elise Buisson, Giselda Durigan, Alessandra Fidelis, Rafael S. Oliveira, Catherine Parr, Lucy Rowland, Joseph W. Veldman, R. Toby Pennington
Summary: The study identified disparities in attention, action, and knowledge among different biomes in tropical restoration science, practice, and policy, with forests receiving more focus than open biomes. The findings suggest a need to increase awareness and recognition of the value of open biomes for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, climate change mitigation, and human livelihoods, in order to effectively achieve the goals of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andre M. D'Angioli, Andre L. Giles, Patricia B. Costa, Gabriel Wolfsdorf, Luisa L. F. Pecoral, Larissa Verona, Fernanda Piccolo, Alexandre B. Sampaio, Isabel B. Schmidt, Lucy Rowland, Hans Lambers, Ellen Kandeler, Rafael S. Oliveira, Anna Abrahao
Summary: Around 40% of the original Brazilian savanna territory is occupied by pastures dominated by fast-growing exotic C-4 grasses, which impact ecosystem nutrient cycling. The restoration of these areas depends on the re-establishment of soil processes. Abandoned pastures had faster nutrient turnover than native savanna, dominated by slow-growing native species. Compared with native savanna, restored areas had similar levels of soil enzyme activities, but lower microbial biomass and soil organic matter. The reduction of soil microbial biomass and organic matter content reduces the immobilization of soil nutrients and is expected to favor a fast nutrient turnover in the ecosystem. The restoration of abandoned pastures should consider a greater focus on restoring soil carbon and nutrient cycling.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Maxmiller Cardoso Ferreira, Alba Orli de Oliveira Cordeiro, Alexandre Bonesso Sampaio, Isabel Belloni Schmidt, Daniel Luis Mascia Vieira
Summary: Seedling planting (SP) and direct seeding (DS) are the most commonly used methods for tropical tree propagation. A comparison study of four seasonal tropical species showed that DS plants had higher survival rates and cost-effectiveness, while eliminating the need for multiple steps in planting seedlings.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Natashi A. L. Pilon, Bruna H. Campos, Giselda Durigan, Mario G. B. Cava, Lucy Rowland, Isabel Schmidt, Alexandre Sampaio, Rafael S. Oliveira
Summary: The ecological restoration of tropical open ecosystems is challenging and assessing the effectiveness of restoration techniques is crucial. The results show that passive restoration promotes the conservation of a limited number of target species, while active restoration using propagules from pristine sites performs better in restoring plant diversity.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)