Spatial Patterns of Fire Recurrence Using Remote Sensing and GIS in the Brazilian Savanna: Serra do Tombador Nature Reserve, Brazil

Abstract

Abstract:The Cerrado is the second largest biome in Brazil after the Amazon and is the savanna with the highest biodiversity in the world. Serra Tombador Natural Reserve (STNR) is the largest private reserve located in Goiás State, and the fourth largest in the Cerrado biome. The present study aimed to map the burnt areas and to describe the spatial patterns of fire recurrence and its interactions with the classes of land-cover that occurred in STNR and its surroundings in the period between 2001 and 2010. Several Landsat TM images acquired around the months of July, August and September, coinciding with the region's dry season when fire events intensify, were employed to monitor burnt areas. Fire scars were mapped using the supervised Mahalanobis-distance classifier and further refined using expert visual interpretation. Burnt area patterns were described by spatial landscape metrics. The effects of fire on landscape structure were obtained by comparing results among different land-cover classes, and results summarized in terms of fire history and frequencies. During the years covered by the study, 69% of the areas analyzed had fire events. The year with the largest burnt area was 2004, followed by 2001, 2007 and 2010. Thus, the largest fire events occurred in a 3-year cycle, which is compatible with other OPEN ACCESS Remote Sens. 2014, 6 9874 areas of the Brazilian savanna. The regions with higher annual probabilities of fire recurrence occur in the buffer zone around the park. The year 2004 also had the highest number of burnt area patches (831). In contrast, the burnt area in 2007 showed the most extensive fires with low number of patches (82). The physiognomies that suffered most fires were the native savanna formations. The study also identified areas where fires are frequently recurrent, highlighting priority areas requiring special attention. Thus, the methodology adopted in this study assists in monitoring and recovery of areas affected by fire over time.

Comparative Analysis of MODIS Time-Series Classification Using Support Vector Machines and Methods Based upon Distance and Similarity Measures in the Brazilian Cerrado-Caatinga Boundary

“…A characteristic of the phenological classification should consider the different responses to the same type of vegetation caused by environmental variations. In semiarid regions, natural climatic variability results in isolated events such as rain, wind, and fire over distances [87][88][89]. This variability in physical events is responsible for different behaviors within the same vegetation type, such as regeneration, vegetative growth, flowering, fruiting, and seed dispersal.…”

Standardized Time-Series and Interannual Phenological Deviation: New Techniques for Burned-Area Detection Using Long-Term MODIS-NBR Dataset

“…This ecosystem shows hydrological constraints in the dry season, which propitiates a fire-event concentration in just a few months of the year. During the dry season, the grassy herbaceous biomass becomes especially dry and very flammable [53]. Therefore, the Cerrado species are adapted to a natural fire regime.…”

“…Therefore, the Cerrado species are adapted to a natural fire regime. Furthermore, the CVNP and its surrounding areas are very susceptible to fire events caused by human activities [53,54]. In the areas with human intervention, the burning usually happens at intervals of three years in order to induce the vegetation regrowth and the increase food availability for the cattle.…”

Spatial modeling of forest fires in Mexico: an integration of two data sources

“…Proper fire management requires knowledge on fire nature and dynamics (Antunes et al 2014). Therefore, the assessment of forest fires through hot spots is of particular importance in describing regional trends and developing mitigation strategies.…”