scholarly journals Soil Quality of Abandoned Agricultural Terraces Managed with Prescribed Fires and Livestock in the Municipality of Capafonts, Catalonia, Spain (2000–2017)

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Úbeda ◽  
Meritxell Alcañiz ◽  
Gonzalo Borges ◽  
Luis Outeiro ◽  
Marcos Francos
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Agricultural Terraces ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Village

The abandonment of the economic activities of agriculture, livestock, and forestry since the second half of the 20th century, in conjunction with the exodus of inhabitants from rural areas, has resulted in an increase in the forest mass as well as an expansion of forest areas. This, in turn, has led to a greater risk of forest fires and an increase in the intensity and severity of these fires. Moreover, these forest masses represent a fire hazard to adjacent urban areas, which is a problem illustrated here by the village of Capafonts, whose former agricultural terraces have been invaded by shrubs, and which in the event of fire runs the risk of aiding the propagation of the flames from the forest to the village’s homes. One of the tools available to reduce the amount of fuel in zones adjoining inhabited areas is prescribed burns. The local authorities have also promoted measures to convert these terraces into pasture; in this way, the grazing of livestock (in this particular instance, goats) aims to keep fuel levels low and thus reduce the risk of fire. The use of prescribed fires is controversial, as they are believed to be highly aggressive for the soil, and little is known about their long-term effects. The alternation of the two strategies is more acceptable—that is, the use of prescribed burning followed by the grazing of livestock. Yet, similarly little is known about the effects of this management sequence on the soil. As such, this study seeks to examine the impact of the management of the abandoned terraces of Capafonts by means of two prescribed fires (2000 and 2002), which were designed specifically to prevent forest fires from reaching the village. Following these two prescribed burns, a herd of goats began to graze these terraces in 2005. Here, we report the results of soil analyses conducted during this period of years up to and including 2017. A plot comprising 30 sampling points was established on one of the terraces and used to monitor its main soil quality properties. The data were subject to statistical tests to determine whether the recorded changes were significant. The results show modifications to the concentration of soil elements, and since the first prescribed burn, these changes have all been statistically significant. We compare our results with those reported in other studies that evaluate optimum soil concentrations for the adequate growth of grazing to feed goats, and conclude that the soil conditions on the terrace after 17 years are optimum for livestock use.

scholarly journals Prescribed burning in a mediterranean-climate region mitigates the disturbance by bushfire to a critical food resource for an endangered bird, the Carnaby’s cockatoo

Fire Ecology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie S. Densmore ◽  
Emma S. Clingan
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Percentage Survival

Abstract Background Prescribed burning is used to reduce fire hazard in highly flammable vegetation types, including Banksia L.f. woodland that occurs on the Swan Coastal Plain (SCP), Western Australia, Australia. The 2016 census recorded well over 1.9 million people living on the SCP, which also encompasses Perth, the fourth largest city in Australia. Banksia woodland is prone to frequent ignitions that can cause extensive bushfires that consume canopy-stored banksia seeds, a critical food resource for an endangered bird, the Carnaby’s cockatoo (Calyptorynchus latirostris, Carnaby 1948). The time needed for banksias to reach maturity and maximum seed production is several years longer than the typical interval between prescribed burns. We compared prescribed burns to bushfires and unburned sites at three locations in banksia woodland to determine whether low-intensity prescribed burns affect the number of adult banksias and their seed production. Study sites were matched to the same vegetation complex, fire regime, and time-since-fire to isolate fire intensity as a variable. Results Headfire rates of spread and differenced normalized burn ratios indicated that prescribed burning was generally of a much lower intensity than bushfire. The percentage survival of adult banksias and their production of cones and follicles (seeds) did not decrease during the first three years following a prescribed burn. However, survival and seed production were significantly diminished followed high-intensity bushfire. Thus, carrying capacity for Carnaby’s cockatoo was unchanged by prescribed burning but decreased markedly following bushfire in banksia woodland. Conclusions These results suggest that prescribed burning is markedly different from bushfire when considering appropriate fire intervals to conserve canopy habitats in fire-resilient vegetation communities. Therefore, low-intensity prescribed burning represents a viable management tool to reduce the frequency and extent of bushfire impacts on banksia woodland and Carnaby’s cockatoo.

scholarly journals Quantitative Analysis of Forest Fires in Southeastern Australia Using SAR Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2386
Author(s):  
Aqil Tariq ◽  
Hong Shu ◽  
Qingting Li ◽  
Orhan Altan ◽  
Mobushir Riaz Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
Backscatter Coefficient ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Southeastern Australia ◽  
Sar Data ◽  
Sar Imagery

Prescribed burning is a common strategy for minimizing forest fire risk. Fire is introduced under specific environmental conditions, with explicit duration, intensity, and rate of spread. Such conditions deviate from those encountered during the fire season. Prescribed burns mostly affect surface fuels and understory vegetation, an outcome markedly different when compared to wildfires. Data on prescribed burning are crucial for evaluating whether land management targets have been reached. This research developed a methodology to quantify the effects of prescribed burns using multi-temporal Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery in the forests of southeastern Australia. C-band SAR datasets were specifically used to statistically explore changes in radar backscatter coefficients with the intensity of prescribed burns. Two modeling approaches based on pre- and post-fire ratios were applied for evaluating prescribed burn impacts. The effects of prescribed burns were documented with an overall accuracy of 82.3% using cross-polarized backscatter (VH) SAR data under dry conditions. The VV polarization indicated some potential to detect burned areas under wet conditions. The findings in this study indicate that the C-band SAR backscatter coefficient has the potential to evaluate the effectiveness of prescribed burns due to its sensitivity to changes in vegetation structure.

scholarly journals Prescribed Fire — Its Place in Reforestation

1970 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 448-451
Author(s):  
A. D. Kiil ◽  
Z. Chrosciewicz
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Close Association ◽  
The Public ◽  
Hazard Reduction ◽  
Resource Managers

Forest fires have played an important role in determining the type and composition of forest ecosystems in the temperate region of North America. The close association between fires and forest ecosystems has helped the resource manager to interpret the significance of fire in reforestation, which in turn has induced him to use burning for this specific purpose. Until very recently, however, most of the burns in Canada have been carried out primarily for slash-fire-hazard reduction. Considerations in the planning and use of prescribed fire for hazard reduction and reforestation are inextricably linked and sometimes complementary. In addition to protection and reforestation objectives, prescribed burning should find wide application in the management of wildlife habitats and watersheds. Recommendations are made to assist resource managers and the public in appreciating more fully the present and potential role of fire in the forest ecosystems.

The effect of mastication on surface fire behaviour, fuels consumption and tree mortality in pine flatwoods of Florida, USA

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse K. Kreye ◽  
Leda N. Kobziar
Keyword(s):  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Flame Height ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Fire Behaviour ◽  
Pine Flatwoods ◽  
Southern Us ◽  
Limited Effectiveness

Mastication of understorey shrubs and small trees to reduce fire hazard has become a widespread forest management practice, but few empirical studies have quantified the effects of this mechanical treatment on actual fire behaviour and fire effects at the stand scale. We conducted experimental burns in masticated pine flatwoods with palmetto/gallberry understories, a common ecosystem of the Southern US Coastal Plain. Fire behaviour (flame height, rate of spread) and fire effects were compared between treated and untreated sites burned in the typical winter prescribed burning season. Mastication effectively reduced flame heights by 66%, but recovering shrubs (cover, height) influenced fire behaviour within six months following treatment, suggesting time-limited effectiveness. Trees had less crown scorch and bole char in masticated sites, but tree mortality was minimal on both treated and untreated sites. Consumption of masticated fuel was substantial across both treatments, but little duff was consumed under the moist soil conditions. When burning is conducted soon after treatment, mastication may effectively reduce fire behaviour in pine flatwoods sites, but the duration of treatment efficacy remains unclear.

Short-term response of the long-nosed bandicoot, Perameles nasuta, and the southern brown bandicoot, Isoodon obesulus obesulus, to low-intensity prescribed fire in heathland vegetation

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Hope
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Hazard Reduction ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
The Impact

Context Prescribed burning is routinely performed within the Sydney Basin as a method of fire-hazard mitigation. Despite the widespread use of prescribed fire, knowledge of the impact of prescribed fire on most fauna species remains unclear. This is particularly the case for bandicoot species. Aims To determine the impact of a low-intensity prescribed fire on the survival of the long-nosed bandicoot, Perameles nasuta, and the southern brown bandicoot, Isoodon obesulus obesulus (hereafter abbreviated to I. obesulus), immediately after the fire and at 5 weeks, 5 months and 13 months following the fire. To document the spatial ecology and nesting requirements of I. obesulus and P. nasuta before and after fire. Methods One I. obesulus and seven P. nasuta (five female and two male) individuals were radio-tracked. Animals were tracked before, during and following a hazard-reduction burn to assess the impact of fire on home range, survival and nesting behaviour. Key results Post-fire survival of P. nasuta and I. obesulus was high and the population remained stable up to 5 months following the fire. All animals tracked within the burn area (three female P. nasuta) survived the passage of fire. The home range for one male I. obesulus was found to be 2.35 ha 50% kernel-density estimate (KDE) and 12.35 ha 95% KDE. Female P. nasuta (n = 5) had a home range of 1.3 ha ± 0.2 s.e. 50% KDE and 7.5 ha ± 1.7 s.e. 95% KDE. Male P. nasuta (n = 1) had a home range of 1.1 ha 50% KDE and 6.5ha 95% KDE. Nesting for both species tended to occur in dense vegetation, with a slight shift to non-combustible refuge sites post-fire. Animals tended to maintain exclusive and relatively stable core home ranges, although overlap of non-core home ranges was common. Conclusions The survival of bandicoots following a low-intensity hazard-reduction fire was high in the short term; however, further research is required to determine how the components of a fire regime affect native species, in particular peramelids. Implications Hazard-reduction fires should be used with caution to manage the isolated and endangered northern Sydney population of I. obesulus, so as to ensure the persistence of this species.

scholarly journals PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL SOIL ATTRIBUTES UNDER ANALOG AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM AND PASTURE SITES

FLORESTA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 887
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Camara ◽  
Camila Santos da Silva ◽  
Gilsonley Lopes dos Santos ◽  
Gabriel Santos Aguiar ◽  
Marcos Gervasio Gervasio Pereira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Soil Fauna ◽  
Agroforestry System ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Soil Attributes ◽  
Physical Chemical ◽  
Calcium Magnesium ◽  
Pasture Area ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
The Impact

Analog agroforestry system uses native tree species to improve soil conditions and the microclimate of degraded areas. This study aimed to assess the impact of analog agroforestry on physical, chemical, and biological soil attributes. We tested the hypothesis that some of these attributes can be used as indicators of soil quality improvement compared to a managed pasture area. Two experimental sites were selected, an analog agroforestry site and a pasture site. In October 2016 (end of the dry season), soil samples were collected from the 0–5 and 5–10 cm depths and the soil fauna community was sampled using pitfall traps. The analog agroforestry system led to increased total abundance, total richness, mean richness, evenness, and diversity of the soil fauna community as well as higher gravimetric soil moisture, sand content, pH, calcium, magnesium, and sum of exchangeable bases, which are good indicators of soil quality. Adults of Coleoptera, Diptera, Gastropoda, Hymenoptera, Isopoda, Lepidoptera, Poduromorpha, Symphypleona, Pseudoscorpionida, Lepidoptera and larvae of Coleoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Neuroptera were the most abundant taxonomic groups in the analog agroforestry system.

Survival behaviour of swamp wallabies during prescribed burning and wildfire

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Garvey ◽  
Dror Ben-Ami ◽  
Daniel Ramp ◽  
David B. Croft
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
Controlled Burning ◽  
Fire Environment ◽  
Fire Front ◽  
Short Time ◽  
The Impact

Context. Prescribed (or controlled) burning is frequently advocated as a means of reducing fuel loads in peri-urban forests to minimise the risk of high-intensity wildfires. An important consideration in prescribed burns is the impact on native wildlife. Aims. An opportunity arose to follow the movements of radio-collared peri-urban swamp wallabies during a prescribed burn and after an unexpected wildfire in the same location a short time later. Movement data was used to assess the relative impacts of the prescribed burn and wildfire on mortality, emigration and habitat use; the behavioural responses and methods of avoidance used by swamp wallabies in response to an oncoming fire front; and the management implications for wildlife that inhabit fire-prone habitats in proximity to human settlement where wildfire mitigation is necessary. Methods. Here we report on the movements of radio-collared swamp wallabies, Wallabia bicolor, before, during and after a prescribed fire and after a wildfire on the same site 6 months later. Key results. No radio-collared swamp wallabies were killed during the prescribed burn and only one wallaby was observed to emigrate from the area post-fire. This contrasted to the wildfire where one wallaby died during or just after the fire and another perished in the post-fire environment a few months later. The wildfire also increased emigration post-fire. Conclusions. We demonstrate that wallabies can avoid fire fronts and that this avoidance behaviour may be more successful during cooler fires. The prescribed burn provided a suitable habitat for wallabies but did not result in a shift in habitat preference. Implications. Mitigation of the impact of prescribed burns on swamp wallabies may be achieved by allowing sufficient time for habitat complexity to re-establish between burns.

scholarly journals Beyond pre-Columbian burning: the impact of firewood collection on forest fuel loads

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott H. Markwith ◽  
Asha Paudel
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fuel Loads ◽  
Firewood Collection ◽  
The Impact

Government agencies in the United States adopted a prescribed burning policy based in part on paleo-environmental evidence of pre-Columbian Native American burning regimes. However, biomass collection by Native Americans in the pre-Columbian era left little direct or indirect evidence of its magnitude or influence on fire regimes. In many developing countries, local peoples harvest biomass for shelter, tool production, cooking, and heating, and often manage forests communally. The objective was to use modern proxy biomass collection estimates analogous to pre-Columbian era practices in the western US to estimate the potential impacts of regionwide firewood collection on fuel loads in the Sierra Nevada range of California. A minimum of 59% of the forested area of the Sierra Nevada range could have been completely stripped of 100 hr (2.54-7.62 cm diameter) surface fuel accumulation each year in the pre-Columbian era, but upper estimates suggest Native American fuelwood requirements may have exceeded the amount of 100 hr surface fuels accumulated over the entire range each year. The collection and removal of the fuels from the surface fuel loads may have contributed to reduced fire severities over that era. Dead wood collection in Nepal and India was found to reduce the threat of forest fires. Including the effects of cultural practices on fuel loads may improve reconstructions of past fuel and fire regimes, and may benefit modern management strategies.

Long-term impacts of prescribed burns on soil thermal conductivity and soil heating at a Colorado Rocky Mountain site: a data/model fusion study

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 131 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Massman ◽  
J. M. Frank ◽  
N. B. Reisch
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Regime ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Soil Heating ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Surface Temperatures ◽  
The Impact

Heating any soil during a sufficiently intense wild fire or prescribed burn can alter that soil irreversibly, resulting in many significant, and well studied, long-term biological, chemical, and hydrological effects. On the other hand, much less is known about how fire affects the thermal properties and the long-term thermal regime of soils. Such knowledge is important for understanding the nature of the soil’s post-fire recovery because plant roots and soil microbes will have to adapt to any changes in the day-to-day thermal regime. This study, which was carried out at Manitou Experimental Forest (a semiarid site in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado, USA), examines three aspects of how fire can affect the long-term (post-fire) thermal energy flow in soils. First, observational evidence is presented that prescribed burns can alter the thermal conductivity of soils to a depth of at least 0.2 m without altering its bulk density. Second, data are presented on the thermal properties of ash. (Such data are necessary for understanding and modeling the impact any remaining post-fire ash layer might have on the daily and seasonal flow of thermal energy through the soil.) Third, observational data are presented on the long-term effects that prescribed burns can have on soil surface temperatures. In an effort to quantify long-term changes in the soil temperatures and heat fluxes resulting from fire this study concludes by developing and using an analytical model of the daily and annual cycles of soil heating and cooling, which incorporates observed (linear variation of) vertical structure of the soil thermal properties and observed changes in the surface temperatures, to synthesise these fire-induced effects. Modeling results suggest that under the dry soil conditions, typical of the experimental forest, the amplitudes of the daily and seasonal cycles of soil heating/cooling in the fire-affected soils will greatly exceed those in the soils unaffected by fire for several months to years following the fire and that these effects propagate to depths exceeding one metre.

scholarly journals PROGRAM PENGABDIAN: SOSIALIASI BAHAYA KEBAKARAN MENGGUNAKAN PROTOTYPE ALAT BERBASIS IoT UNTUK WARGA HINTERLAND BATAM

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 118
Author(s):  
Dwi Ely Kurniawan ◽  
Ahmad Hamim Thohari
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Fire Detection ◽  
Residential Area ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Hot Season ◽  
The Village ◽  
Internet Of Thing

<p><strong><em>Abstract.</em></strong> <em>The dry season is starting to be felt in Batam and brings the threat of drought. This dry or hot season has an impact in the form of the threat of protected forest fires in the Rempang and Galang Island areas, Batam. Residents of Pasir Panjang at the end of last month a fire accident occurred in the residential area of the village. This has made residents wary of fires. The development of technology is currently increasing rapidly with the existence of the Internet of Thing (IOT) which is one of the solutions to problems in daily activities, including in handling fires. The purpose of this service is to try to make an application for fire detection in the residential area. The method of implementation is carried out in stages, needs analysis, training and mentoring programs, handing over of tools and evaluation of activities. The results of this service are in the form of a prototype IoT application product. Another result is from training in the form of socialization of fire hazard prevention by demonstrating a tool with a very good and enthusiastic response from the community based on an average rating scale above 4.</em><em></em></p><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p><p><strong>Abstrak.</strong> Musim kemarau mulai terasa di Batam dan membawa ancaman kekeringan. Musim kemarau atau panas ini menimbulkan dampak berupa ancaman kebakaran hutan lindung di kawasan Pulau Rempang dan Galang, Batam. Warga Pasir Panjang akhir bulan lalu terjadi musibah kebakaran yang menimpa di kawasan perkampungan tempat tinggal. Hal ini membuat warga was-was terhadap bancana kebakaran. Perkembangan teknologi saat ini semakin pesat dengan adanya Internet of Thing (IOT) menjadi salah satu pemecahan masalah dalam aktifitas sehari-hari, tak terkecuali dalam penanganan kebakaran. Tujuan dari pengabdian ini adalah mencoba membuat suatu aplikasi untuk pendeteksi kebakaran di daerah perkampungan tempat tinggal. Metode pelaksanaan dilakukan secara bertahap analisa kebutuhan, program pelatihan dan pendampingan, penyerahan alat dan evaluasi kegiatan. Hasil pengabdian berupa produk prototype aplikasi IoT. Hasil lain yakni dari pelatihan berupa sosialisasi pencegahan bahaya kebakaran dengan memperagakan alat dengan respon masyarakat sangat baik dan antusias berdasarkan rata2 penilaian skala diatas 4.<strong></strong></p><p class="5ComdevIsiAbstrakIndo"> </p><div id="gtx-trans" style="position: absolute; left: 319px; top: 370px;"> </div>

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