Experts and resource users split over solutions to peatland fires

Phelps, Jacob; Zabala, Aiora; Daeli, Willy; Carmenta, Rachel

doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105594

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…Moreover, any research on FG will always need to be adapted to different socioecological contexts. In a recent paper on peatland fires in Indonesia, Phelps et al (2021) stated that experts' solutions in FG tend to be universal (instead of pertinent to the local context) and transformative (but hardly implementable on the ground). As contexts differ, good FG will not look alike everywhere.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among the positive effects, the studies mentioned the support of local livelihoods and culture, the use of prescribed fire in wildfire prevention, and the maintenance of biocultural diversity and fire‐prone ecosystems (Bilbao et al ., 2019; Carmenta et al ., 2016, 2021a; Corey et al ., 2019; Eloy et al ., 2018; Garcia et al ., 2021; Martínez‐Torres et al ., 2015; Pérez‐Salicrup et al ., 2018; Schmidt et al ., 2018; Tacconi & Ruchiat, 2006; Walters, 2015). Negative effects stressed in the revised publications include deforestation, desertification, greenhouse gas emissions, impacts on human health, haze, loss of biodiversity, negative effects on the hydrological cycle, erosion, sedimentation of lakes and dams, and the destruction of infrastructure and harvests (Astuti, 2020; Amador‐Jiménez et al ., 2020; Bilbao et al ., 2019; Cammelli et al ., 2019; Carmenta et al ., 2016, 2021a, 2021b; Corey et al ., 2019; Devisscher et al ., 2016; Eloy et al ., 2018; Garcia et al ., 2021; Gaveau et al ., 2016; Goldstein et al ., 2020; Kull, 2002; Filho et al ., 2021; Lee et al ., 2016; Neger, 2021; Phelps et al ., 2021; Schmidt et al ., 2018; Temudo et al ., 2020).…”

Section: Scope Focus and Methodologies Of Studies Related To Fire Gov...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this context, in recent years, several studies have emphasized the importance of considering the role (interests, capabilities, power, influence, etc.) of different stakeholders as well as the formal and informal rules and agreements that determine their actions (Bilbao et al ., 2019; Carmenta et al ., 2013; Morello & Falcão, 2020; Phelps et al ., 2021). In this endeavour, they have integrated concepts from governance studies into research on fire management, and some have even used the term ‘fire governance’ (FG) (Monzón‐Alvarado, 2018; Walters, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Fire governance research in the tropics: A configurative review and outline of a research agenda

Neger,

Monzón‐Alvarado,

Guibrunet

2024

Singap J Trop Geogr

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Fire is a highly relevant governance challenge in the tropics: altered fire regimes, among other phenomena, threaten the persistence of various ecosystems. Fire is also widely used by smallholders. Yet, wildfires can put people's livelihoods in danger through direct damages and by impoverishing ecosystem services. Conventional approaches have sought to suppress any type of fire in the landscape. However, since the late twentieth century, researchers and practitioners have recognized the benefits of strategic fire use and, in some cases, of local fire use traditions. In many tropical areas, the coexistence and interaction of the conventional (‘suppression‐only’) approach, integrated approaches, and communities’ traditional ways of using fire, create a complex network of actors with different interests and outlooks. The ways these actors make decisions and interact can be summed up under the notion of fire governance. There is a growing body of literature dealing with this kind of situations, although they do not always mention the term governance. This paper thematically analyses 38 studies in this field, showing that research has been scattered and often addresses the issue partially, leaving out key aspects of environmental governance. Based on this analysis, the paper proposes a more connected and holistic research agenda.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Scope Focus and Methodologies Of Studies Related To Fire Gov...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fire governance research in the tropics: A configurative review and outline of a research agenda

Neger,

Monzón‐Alvarado,

Guibrunet

2024

Singap J Trop Geogr

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“…Few studies have explicitly addressed the relationship of local communities with peatlands and their perceptions of peatland restoration (Ward et al 2020). Perception has been increasingly employed in the study of issues relating to the management of natural resources, such as fire management effectiveness and solutions (Murdiyarso & Lebel 2006; Carmenta et al 2017; Phelps et al 2021), local community responses to canal blocking (Ward et al 2021), and restoration decision‐making (Aggestam 2014). Perceptions provide important insights into the legitimacy and acceptability of land use interventions (Bennett 2016), whereas divergence in perceptions reveals underlying differences in people's values and highlights potential sources of conflict (Shmueli 2008; Collier & Scott 2009; Carmenta et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local community representations of tropical peatlands and implications for restoration in Riau, Indonesia

Tan

Sutikno

Carrasco

et al. 2023

Restoration Ecology

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Accounting for the myriad of ways that local communities relate to peatlands is increasingly recognized as a factor for long-term restoration success. One way of doing so is through understanding how peatlands are represented by local communities using a social representation framework comprising perceived peatland benefits and functions, beliefs about their characteristics, perceived human-peatland relationships, and appropriate management pathways. In turn, these representations influence individual interpretation of peatland restoration outcomes and, to a lesser degree, engagement with revegetation activities. We conducted 55 semi-structured interviews with three communities living in and around peatlands in Bengkalis, Riau, Indonesia. We show that, among those interviewed, peatlands had various and divergent representations. Each representation reflected its own social-ecological relationship with, and valuation of, peatlands, and individual and shared experiences. For example, peatlands were primarily valued for their production purposes, but were also represented as degraded lands and areas important for climate change mitigation. The different representations were not mutually exclusive; on occasion, the same interviewee expressed several different representations. Moreover, some representations were shared among geographically dispersed participants, reflecting common experiences of peatland management. Overall, the results reaffirm the need to account for local representations of the environment in the management of tropical peatland, and notably in the setting of restoration goals.

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“…Research is needed on impact and potential restoration of post‐wildfire ecosystems. There is a particular dearth of studies on animals (Driessen & Kirkpatrick, 2017 ) and plant communities, to bridge the interests of local management and global concerns (Jefferson et al, 2020 ; Phelps et al, 2021 ). Some wildfires play a vital role in determining the distribution of fire‐tolerant species and contributing naturally to atmospheric and terrestrial carbon budgets (Flanagan et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Initial ecological change in plant and arthropod community composition after wildfires in designated areas of upland peatlands

Kelly

Montgomery

Reid

2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Wildfires are an increasing concern due to rising temperatures and incidence of droughts associated with changing climate, poor land management, and direct human interference. Most studies of the impact of fire on temperate heathland and bog examined the consequences of controlled or prescribed burning. Less is known about the impacts of uncontrolled wildfires on sites designated for their conservation value. We examined the initial impact and short‐term trajectory (3.5 years) of cool temperate peatland plant and arthropod communities on designated upland sites in Northern Ireland following wildfires, that is, unplanned with respect to where and when they occur, severity, and duration. These near simultaneous wildfires were often due to a failure to control prescribed burns. Wildfires were associated with a loss of blanket bog and heath indicator species. Broad vegetation groups showed initial recovery characterized by a decrease in bare ground and increasing cover of shrub species and bryophytes. However, at a species level, Sphagnum spp and bryophyte communities, which are central to peatland ecosystem functioning, showed no sign of recovery to prefire composition. Rather, bryophyte communities became more divergent over the course of the study and were mainly characterized by increased abundance of the alien pioneer acrocarp Campylopus introflexus . Similarly, composition of arthropod communities (ground beetles and spiders) differed between burnt and unburnt areas and showed no evidence of a return to species composition in unburnt areas. The nationally rare beetle Carabus nitens was more common in the aftermath of wildfire. Synthesis . Whilst, long‐term recovery was not investigated, these short‐term changes suggest enduring detrimental impacts on the distinctive communities associated with peatlands, primarily through the loss of Sphagnum spp . , affecting ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and water and soil retention. It may not be possible to restore exact prefire species composition of plant and animal communities. We suggest a precautionary approach involving management of upland vegetation, public education, and vigilance, to prevent further wildfires and protect these key upland habitats.

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Experts and resource users split over solutions to peatland fires

Cited by 14 publications

References 73 publications

Fire governance research in the tropics: A configurative review and outline of a research agenda

Fire governance research in the tropics: A configurative review and outline of a research agenda

Local community representations of tropical peatlands and implications for restoration in Riau, Indonesia

Initial ecological change in plant and arthropod community composition after wildfires in designated areas of upland peatlands

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