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Das A, Gujre N, Devi RJ, Mitra S. A Review on Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Its Role in Natural Resources Management: North East India, a Cultural Paradise. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 72:113-134. [PMID: 34791537 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-021-01554-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable management of natural resources plays a critical role in poverty alleviation and overall socio-economic development. North East (NE) India is blessed as a biodiversity hotspot, being also home to around 150 ethnic tribes with diverse ethical, cultural and traditional beliefs, endorsing the region as a cultural paradise rich in natural resources and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). Conversely, the severely constrained nature of TEK, has juxtaposed TEK practices and sustainable natural resources management (NRM) in this review. Deliberating on the broader perspectives of TEK and ensuing practices, we have identified twelve sustainable development goals (SDGs) which are directly correlated to the TEK and practices of NE region. This review has meticulously detailed TEK and practices that can help in achieving various sustainable development targets of different SDGs in a more comprehensive and eco-friendly manner. Houde's manifestation to differentiate each element of TEK and practices present in the NE region of the country, such as traditional farming and irrigation systems, sacred groves, and cultural belief systems of different tribes, have been systematically analyzed and documented for each of the eight states of this region. The benefits accrued modern practices related to NRM are correlated with TEK, or adaptive empirical knowledge system. Indigenous agricultural systems, watershed management, biodiversity conservation, and ethnomedicinal therapeutic systems in NE India formed a vital part of the review. However, rapid urbanization, industrialization, and deforestation warrant an urgent need to systematically collate, document, analyze, and conserve the TEK of the indigenous communities of NE India.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashmita Das
- Agro-ecotechnology Laboratory, School of Agro and Rural Technology, IIT Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India
| | - Nihal Gujre
- Agro-ecotechnology Laboratory, School of Agro and Rural Technology, IIT Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India
| | - Rajkumari Jobina Devi
- The Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) at Imphal, Manipur, 795001, India
| | - Sudip Mitra
- Agro-ecotechnology Laboratory, School of Agro and Rural Technology, IIT Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India.
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2
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Awuah J, Smith SW, Speed JDM, Graae BJ. Can seasonal fire management reduce the risk of carbon loss from wildfires in a protected Guinea savanna? Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joana Awuah
- Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- School of Forest Sciences University of Eastern Finland Joensuu Finland
| | - Stuart W. Smith
- Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- Department of Physical Geography Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - James D. M. Speed
- Department of Natural History NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Bente J. Graae
- Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
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3
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Jones PJ, Furlaud JM, Williamson GJ, Johnston FH, Bowman DMJS. Smoke pollution must be part of the savanna fire management equation: A case study from Darwin, Australia. AMBIO 2022; 51:2214-2226. [PMID: 35608727 PMCID: PMC9481847 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01745-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Savanna fire management is a topic of global debate, with early dry season burning promoted as a large-scale emissions reduction opportunity. To date, discussions have centred on carbon abatement efficacy, biodiversity and cultural benefits and/or risks. Here we use a case study of Darwin, Australia to highlight smoke pollution as another critical consideration. Smoke pollution from savanna fires is a major public health issue, yet absent so far from discussions of program design. Here, we assess the likely impacts of increased early dry season burning on smoke pollution in Darwin between 2004 and 2019, spanning the introduction and expansion of carbon abatement programs. We found increased smoke pollution in the early dry season but little change in the late dry season, contributing to a net annual increase in air quality standard exceedances. Geospatial analysis suggests this relates to increased burning in the path of early dry season trade winds. This study highlights the complex health trade-offs involved with any large-scale prescribed burning, including for carbon abatement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penelope J. Jones
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool St, Hobart, TAS 7000 Australia
| | - James M. Furlaud
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001 Australia
| | - Grant J. Williamson
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001 Australia
| | - Fay H. Johnston
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool St, Hobart, TAS 7000 Australia
- Public Health Services, Department of Health, 17 Liverpool St, Hobart, TAS 7000 Australia
| | - David M. J. S. Bowman
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001 Australia
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4
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Santini NS, Miquelajauregui Y. The Restoration of Degraded Lands by Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.873659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of Earth's foremost ecological challenges is the degradation of land habitats. This degradation is often caused by deforestation and desertification resulting from the unsustainable management of natural resources. Land restoration seeks to reverse this trend and repair ecosystems to better health. Indigenous peoples and local communities have a key role in realizing long-term, sustainable land restoration. Local and indigenous communities often have intimate knowledge of the local ecosystems and an interest in preserving ecosystem services. Areas managed by indigenous peoples and local communities especially overlap with remaining intact ecosystems and suffer from less deforestation than unprotected areas. Here, we discuss how the knowledge and engagement of local communities can improve the management, implementation, and monitoring of habitat restoration. However, there are also challenges to land restoration, and scientists and policymakers that can align restoration outcomes with community benefits gained from environmental stewardship and knowledge, are more likely to achieve long-term sustainable restoration success.
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Fisher R, Lewis B, Price O, Pickford A. Barriers to fire spread in northern Australian tropical savannas, deriving fire edge metrics from long term high-frequency fire histories. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 301:113864. [PMID: 34600424 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The savannas of northern Australia are amongst the most fire-prone landscapes in the world. However, over the last fifteen years, increasing effort has been put into reducing fire extent and severity using prescribed burning strategies early in the dry season. This study seeks to improve the application of strategic fire management by providing a more detailed understanding of the landscape features that impede fire spread in Australia's tropical savannas using long-term satellite-derived fire histories. Spatial analysis of fire edges in Kakadu National Park based on fine-scale (30 m) Landsat imagery found that most fires stopped along linear edges, which were primarily associated with known features (roads, rivers and cliffs). Further analysis found linear features with the highest stopping ability covered only 13% of the park but divided the whole park into smaller containment regions. The stopping power of each feature type was found to vary according to their width and to change during the fire season, results that could help plan strategic fuel reduction burns. Similar results were seen with the lower-resolution continental-scale MODIS satellite-derived edge data. The MODIS dataset provided a means for applying fire edge analysis to support planning in areas of northern Australia that lack fine scale fire history mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Fisher
- Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, 0909, Australia; Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, 0909, Australia.
| | - Ben Lewis
- Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation, 89 Victoria Highway, Katherine, NT, 0850, Australia; Fire Stick and Associates, Katherine, NT, 0850, Australia
| | - Owen Price
- Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Anna Pickford
- Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Parks Australia, Kakadu National Park, Kakadu Highway, Jabiru, NT, 0886, Australia
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Edwards A, Archer R, De Bruyn P, Evans J, Lewis B, Vigilante T, Whyte S, Russell-Smith J. Transforming fire management in northern Australia through successful implementation of savanna burning emissions reductions projects. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 290:112568. [PMID: 33887642 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Savannas are the most fire-prone of Earth's biomes and currently account for most global burned area and associated carbon emissions. In Australia, over recent decades substantial development of savanna burning emissions accounting methods has been undertaken to incentivise more conservative savanna fire management and reduce the extent and severity of late dry season wildfires. Since inception of Australia's formal regulated savanna burning market in 2012, today 25% of the 1.2M km2 fire-prone northern savanna region is managed under such arrangements. Although savanna burning projects generate significant emissions reductions and associated financial benefits especially for Indigenous landowners, various biodiversity conservation considerations, including fine-scale management requirements for conservation of fire-vulnerable taxa, remain contentious. For the entire savanna burning region, here we compare outcomes achieved at 'with-project' vs 'non-project' sites over the period 2000-19, with respect to explicit ecologically defined fire regime metrics, and assembled fire history and spatial mapping coverages. We find that there has been little significant fire regime change at non-project sites, whereas, at with-project sites under all land uses, from 2013 there has been significant reduction in late season wildfire, increase in prescribed early season mitigation burning and patchiness metrics, and seasonally variable changes in extent of unburnt (>2, >5 years) habitat. Despite these achievements, it is acknowledged that savanna burning projects do not provide a fire management panacea for a variety of key regional conservation, production, and cultural management issues. Rather, savanna burning projects can provide an effective operational funded framework to assist with delivering various landscape-scale management objectives. With these caveats in mind, significant potential exists for implementing incentivised fire management approaches in other fire-prone international savanna settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Edwards
- Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin NT, 0909, Australia; Bushfire & Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, East Melbourne Vic, 3002, Australia
| | - Ricky Archer
- North Australian Land and Sea Management Alliance, PO Box 486 CDU NT 0815, Australia
| | - Phillip De Bruyn
- Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, PO Box 65 Broome, WA, 6725, Australia
| | - Jay Evans
- Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin NT, 0909, Australia; Bushfire & Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, East Melbourne Vic, 3002, Australia
| | - Ben Lewis
- Fire Stick & Associates, PO Box 18 Pine Creek NT 0847, Australia
| | - Tom Vigilante
- Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation, PMB 16 Kalumburu, WA, 6740, Australia
| | - Sandy Whyte
- APN (Aaak Puul Ngantam) Cape York, Level 1 18-20 Donaldson street, Cairns Qld, 4870, Australia
| | - Jeremy Russell-Smith
- Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin NT, 0909, Australia; Bushfire & Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, East Melbourne Vic, 3002, Australia; North Australian Land and Sea Management Alliance, PO Box 486 CDU NT 0815, Australia
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7
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Johansson MU, Abebe FB, Nemomissa S, Bekele T, Hylander K. Ecosystem restoration in fire-managed savanna woodlands: Effects on biodiversity, local livelihoods and fire intensity. AMBIO 2021; 50:190-202. [PMID: 32451967 PMCID: PMC7708610 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-020-01343-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ethiopia aims to restore 15 million ha degraded forests and woodlands, but effects on the potentially contrasting goals of long-term carbon storage, biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods are unknown. To quantify the effects of grazing exclusion on vegetation and fire behaviour, we established six 30 × 30 m fenced exclosures with grazed controls, in a mesic wooded savanna. Experimental burns were done after 1.5 years. Tree seedlings were few but more common inside fences. Field layer cover and biomass increased inside fences, and grass species increased in numbers and cover. Fire intensity was higher inside fences, killing shrubs and saplings but not mature trees. Interviews confirmed that overgrazing has resulted in "cool fires", causing shrub encroachment. High-intensity fires occurred in the 1980s after a zoonotic disease killed most livestock. Short-term increase in carbon storage through fire and grazing exclusion may lead to loss of pasture, and in the long-term increased wildfire risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Ulrika Johansson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Firew Bekele Abebe
- Department of Natural Resources Management, Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
| | - Sileshi Nemomissa
- Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, Addis Ababa University, PO Box 3434, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tamrat Bekele
- Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, Addis Ababa University, PO Box 3434, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Kristoffer Hylander
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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8
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Andersen AN. Faunal responses to fire in Australian tropical savannas: Insights from field experiments and their lessons for conservation management. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alan N. Andersen
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Darwin NT Australia
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9
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Chausson A, Turner B, Seddon D, Chabaneix N, Girardin CAJ, Kapos V, Key I, Roe D, Smith A, Woroniecki S, Seddon N. Mapping the effectiveness of nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:6134-6155. [PMID: 32906226 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Nature-based solutions (NbS) to climate change currently have considerable political traction. However, national intentions to deploy NbS have yet to be fully translated into evidence-based targets and action on the ground. To enable NbS policy and practice to be better informed by science, we produced the first global systematic map of evidence on the effectiveness of nature-based interventions for addressing the impacts of climate change and hydrometeorological hazards on people. Most of the interventions in natural or semi-natural ecosystems were reported to have ameliorated adverse climate impacts. Conversely, interventions involving created ecosystems (e.g., afforestation) were associated with trade-offs; such studies primarily reported reduced soil erosion or increased vegetation cover but lower water availability, although this evidence was geographically restricted. Overall, studies reported more synergies than trade-offs between reduced climate impacts and broader ecological, social, and climate change mitigation outcomes. In addition, nature-based interventions were most often shown to be as effective or more so than alternative interventions for addressing climate impacts. However, there were substantial gaps in the evidence base. Notably, there were few studies of the cost-effectiveness of interventions compared to alternatives and few integrated assessments considering broader social and ecological outcomes. There was also a bias in evidence toward the Global North, despite communities in the Global South being generally more vulnerable to climate impacts. To build resilience to climate change worldwide, it is imperative that we protect and harness the benefits that nature can provide, which can only be done effectively if informed by a strengthened evidence base.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Chausson
- Nature-based Solutions Initiative, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Beth Turner
- Nature-based Solutions Initiative, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Dan Seddon
- Nature-based Solutions Initiative, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicole Chabaneix
- Nature-based Solutions Initiative, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Cécile A J Girardin
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Valerie Kapos
- United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK
| | - Isabel Key
- Nature-based Solutions Initiative, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Dilys Roe
- International Institute for Environment and Development, London, UK
| | - Alison Smith
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen Woroniecki
- Nature-based Solutions Initiative, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Thematic Studies, Environmental Change Unit, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Nathalie Seddon
- Nature-based Solutions Initiative, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Corey B, Andersen AN, Legge S, Woinarski JCZ, Radford IJ, Perry JJ. Better biodiversity accounting is needed to prevent bioperversity and maximize co‐benefits from savanna burning. Conserv Lett 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Corey
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Kununurra Western Australia Australia
| | - Alan N. Andersen
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin University Darwin Northern Territory Australia
| | - Sarah Legge
- School of Conservation and Biodiversity ScienceUniversity of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
- Fenner School of Environment and SocietyThe Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - John C. Z. Woinarski
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin University Darwin Northern Territory Australia
| | - Ian J. Radford
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Kununurra Western Australia Australia
| | - Justin J. Perry
- Department of Land and WaterCSIRO Townsville Queensland Australia
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11
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Green and Blue Infrastructure in Darwin; Carbon Economies and the Social and Cultural Dimensions of Valuing Urban Mangroves in Australia. URBAN SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/urbansci3030086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Darwin’s mangrove ecosystems, some of the most extensive and biodiverse in the world, are part of the urban fabric in the tropical north of Australia but they are also clearly at risk from the current scale and pace of development. Climate motivated market-based responses, the so-called ‘new-carbon economies’, are one prominent approach to thinking differently about the value of living infrastructure and how it might provide for and improve liveability. In the Australian context, there are recent efforts to promote mangrove ecosystems as blue infrastructure, specifically as blue carbon, but also little recognition or valuation of them as green or urban infrastructure. Drawing on observational and qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews, this study examines how key stakeholders in Darwin frame and understand mangroves in relation to the urban, and how they are anticipating and responding to governance efforts to frame mangroves and pay for their carbon sequestration and storage services as blue carbon. The push for large infrastructure development and an expanding urban footprint, present serious challenges for mangrove protection, and the study evidences both denial and complacency in this regard. However, although the concept of blue carbon is already taking effect in some circles, it was not viewed as straightforward or as appropriate by all study participants and may very well work in practice to exclude groups within the community. Both clear governance problems, as well as unrecognized and vernacular community connections to mangroves in Darwin, indicate that there are ongoing conceptual and empirical challenges to be considered in recognizing and valuing mangroves as part of urban life.
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12
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Mistry J, Schmidt IB, Eloy L, Bilbao B. New perspectives in fire management in South American savannas: The importance of intercultural governance. AMBIO 2019; 48:172-179. [PMID: 29752682 PMCID: PMC6346601 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-018-1054-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires continue to cause damage to property, livelihoods and environments around the world. Acknowledging that dealing with wildfires has to go beyond fire-fighting, governments in countries with fire-prone ecosystems have begun to recognize the multiple perspectives of landscape burning and the need to engage with local communities and their practices. In this perspective, we outline the experiences of Brazil and Venezuela, two countries where fire management has been highly contested, but where there have been recent advances in fire management approaches. Success of these new initiatives have been measured by the reduction in wildfire extent through prescribed burning, and the opening of a dialogue on fire management between government agencies and local communities. Yet, it is clear that further developments in community participation need to take place in order to avoid the appropriation of local knowledge systems by institutions, and to better reflect more equitable fire governance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayalaxshmi Mistry
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW200EX UK
| | - Isabel Belloni Schmidt
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade de Brasília, P.O. Box 04457, Brasília, DF CEP 70910-900 Brazil
| | - Ludivine Eloy
- National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), UMR 5281 ART-DEV, Paul Valéry University, 34090 Montpellier, France
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Sustentável, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro Gleba A Universidade de Brasília - Asa Norte, Brasília, DF 70910-900 Brazil
| | - Bibiana Bilbao
- Departamento de Estudios Ambientales, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Apartado 89000, Caracas, 1080 Venezuela
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Murphy BP, Prior LD, Cochrane MA, Williamson GJ, Bowman DMJS. Biomass consumption by surface fires across Earth's most fire prone continent. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:254-268. [PMID: 30270480 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Landscape fire is a key but poorly understood component of the global carbon cycle. Predicting biomass consumption by fire at large spatial scales is essential to understanding carbon dynamics and hence how fire management can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase ecosystem carbon storage. An Australia-wide field-based survey (at 113 locations) across large-scale macroecological gradients (climate, productivity and fire regimes) enabled estimation of how biomass combustion by surface fire directly affects continental-scale carbon budgets. In terms of biomass consumption, we found clear trade-offs between the frequency and severity of surface fires. In temperate southern Australia, characterised by less frequent and more severe fires, biomass consumed per fire was typically very high. In contrast, surface fires in the tropical savannas of northern Australia were very frequent but less severe, with much lower consumption of biomass per fire (about a quarter of that in the far south). When biomass consumption was expressed on an annual basis, biomass consumed was far greater in the tropical savannas (>20 times that of the far south). This trade-off is also apparent in the ratio of annual carbon consumption to net primary production (NPP). Across Australia's naturally vegetated land area, annual carbon consumption by surface fire is equivalent to about 11% of NPP, with a sharp contrast between temperate southern Australia (6%) and tropical northern Australia (46%). Our results emphasise that fire management to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should focus on fire prone tropical savanna landscapes, where the vast bulk of biomass consumption occurs globally. In these landscapes, grass biomass is a key driver of frequency, intensity and combustion completeness of surface fires, and management actions that increase grass biomass are likely to lead to increases in greenhouse gas emissions from savanna fires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett P Murphy
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Lynda D Prior
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Mark A Cochrane
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, Maryland
| | - Grant J Williamson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - David M J S Bowman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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14
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Reyes-García V, Fernández-Llamazares Á, McElwee P, Molnár Z, Öllerer K, Wilson SJ, Brondizio ES. The contributions of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to ecological restoration. Restor Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Reyes-García
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA); Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA); Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; 08193 Bellatera, Barcelona Spain
| | - Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares
- Global Change and Conservation (GCC), Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
| | - Pamela McElwee
- Department of Human Ecology; Rutgers University; New Brunswick, NJ U.S.A
| | - Zsolt Molnár
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research; GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group; 8237, Tihany Hungary
| | - Kinga Öllerer
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research; GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group; 8237, Tihany Hungary
- Institute of Biology Bucharest, Romanian Academy; 060031, Bucharest Romania
| | - Sarah J. Wilson
- PARTNERS Reforestation Network; University of Connecticut; Mansfield, CT U.S.A
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15
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Lynch D, Russell-Smith J, Edwards AC, Evans J, Yates C. Incentivising fire management in Pindan (Acacia shrubland): A proposed fuel type for Australia's Savanna burning greenhouse gas emissions abatement methodology. ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/emr.12334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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16
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Lipsett-Moore GJ, Wolff NH, Game ET. Emissions mitigation opportunities for savanna countries from early dry season fire management. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2247. [PMID: 29884858 PMCID: PMC5993717 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04687-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Savanna fires produce significant emissions globally, but if managed effectively could provide an important mitigation opportunity, particularly in African least developed countries. Here we show global opportunities for emissions reductions through early dry season burning for 37 countries including: 29 countries in Africa (69.1 MtCO2-e yr-1), six countries in South America (13.3 MtCO2-e yr-1), and Australia and Papua New Guinea (6.9 MtCO2-e yr-1). Emissions reduction estimates are based on the successful approach developed in Australia to reduce emissions from savanna fires using global-scale, remotely sensed estimates of monthly emissions. Importantly, 20 least developed countries in Africa account for 74% of the mitigation potential (60.2 MtCO2-e yr-1). More than 1.02 million km2 of savanna dominated protected areas within these countries could be used as pilot sites to test and advance a regional approach to mitigation efforts for savanna fires in Africa. Potential versus actual abatement opportunities are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey J Lipsett-Moore
- The Nature Conservancy, Asia Pacific Resource Centre, 48 Montague Road, Level 1, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia.
| | - Nicholas H Wolff
- The Nature Conservancy, Global Science, 14 Maine Street, Suite 401, Brunswick, ME, 04011, USA
| | - Edward T Game
- The Nature Conservancy, Asia Pacific Resource Centre, 48 Montague Road, Level 1, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia.,University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
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Batista EKL, Russell-Smith J, França H, Figueira JEC. An evaluation of contemporary savanna fire regimes in the Canastra National Park, Brazil: Outcomes of fire suppression policies. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 205:40-49. [PMID: 28964973 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.09.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Fire has shaped plant evolution and biogeochemical cycles for millions of years in savanna ecosystems, but changes in natural fire regimes promoted by human land use threaten contemporary conservation efforts. In protected areas in the Brazilian savannas (Cerrado), the predominant management policy is fire suppression, reflecting a cultural heritage which considers that fire always has a negative impact on biodiversity. Here we compare resultant fire-regimes in Canastra National Park (CNP), southeast Brazil, associated with areas under and without fire suppression management, based on a 16-year Landsat imagery record. In open grasslands of the Canastra plateau (CP), firefighting is undertaken under government-sanctioned regulation, whereas in the Babilonia sector, non-sanctioned fire management is undertaken by small farmers to promote cattle grazing and cropping. Fire regimes in the Canastra sector are characterized by few, very large, late dry season wildfires recurring at intervals of two years. Fire regimes in lowlands of the Babilonia sector are characterized by many small-scale, starting at the beginning of the dry season (EDS). In Babilonia uplands fire regimes are characterized by higher frequencies of large fires. The study illustrates major challenges for managing fire-prone areas in conflict-of-interest regions. We suggest that management planning in CNP needs to effectively address: i) managing conflicts between CNP managers and local communities; and ii) fire management practices in order to achieve more ecologically sustainable fire regimes. The study has broader implications for conservation management in fire-prone savannas in South America generally.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeremy Russell-Smith
- Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia.
| | - Helena França
- Engineering Center, Modeling and Applied Social Sciences, Federal University of ABC, Brazil.
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18
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Fire-Driven Decline of Endemic Allosyncarpia Monsoon Rainforests in Northern Australia. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8120481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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19
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Mistry J, Bilbao BA, Berardi A. Community owned solutions for fire management in tropical ecosystems: case studies from Indigenous communities of South America. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0174. [PMID: 27216507 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fire plays an increasingly significant role in tropical forest and savanna ecosystems, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and impacting on biodiversity. Emerging research shows the potential role of Indigenous land-use practices for controlling deforestation and reducing CO2 emissions. Analysis of satellite imagery suggests that Indigenous lands have the lowest incidence of wildfires, significantly contributing to maintaining carbon stocks and enhancing biodiversity. Yet acknowledgement of Indigenous peoples' role in fire management and control is limited, and in many cases dismissed, especially in policy-making circles. In this paper, we review existing data on Indigenous fire management and impact, focusing on examples from tropical forest and savanna ecosystems in Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana. We highlight how the complexities of community owned solutions for fire management are being lost as well as undermined by continued efforts on fire suppression and firefighting, and emerging approaches to incorporate Indigenous fire management into market- and incentive-based mechanisms for climate change mitigation. Our aim is to build a case for supporting Indigenous fire practices within all scales of decision-making by strengthening Indigenous knowledge systems to ensure more effective and sustainable fire management.This article is part of the themed issue 'The interaction of fire and mankind'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayalaxshmi Mistry
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW200EX, UK
| | - Bibiana A Bilbao
- Departamento de Estudios Ambientales, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Apartado 89000, Valle de Sartenejas, Caracas 1080, Venezuela
| | - Andrea Berardi
- Engineering and Innovation, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
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20
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Abreu RCR, Hoffmann WA, Vasconcelos HL, Pilon NA, Rossatto DR, Durigan G. The biodiversity cost of carbon sequestration in tropical savanna. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1701284. [PMID: 28875172 PMCID: PMC5576881 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1701284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Tropical savannas have been increasingly viewed as an opportunity for carbon sequestration through fire suppression and afforestation, but insufficient attention has been given to the consequences for biodiversity. To evaluate the biodiversity costs of increasing carbon sequestration, we quantified changes in ecosystem carbon stocks and the associated changes in communities of plants and ants resulting from fire suppression in savannas of the Brazilian Cerrado, a global biodiversity hotspot. Fire suppression resulted in increased carbon stocks of 1.2 Mg ha-1 year-1 since 1986 but was associated with acute species loss. In sites fully encroached by forest, plant species richness declined by 27%, and ant richness declined by 35%. Richness of savanna specialists, the species most at risk of local extinction due to forest encroachment, declined by 67% for plants and 86% for ants. This loss highlights the important role of fire in maintaining biodiversity in tropical savannas, a role that is not reflected in current policies of fire suppression throughout the Brazilian Cerrado. In tropical grasslands and savannas throughout the tropics, carbon mitigation programs that promote forest cover cannot be assumed to provide net benefits for conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo C. R. Abreu
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695–7612, USA
| | - William A. Hoffmann
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695–7612, USA
| | - Heraldo L. Vasconcelos
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais 38405-320, Brazil
| | - Natashi A. Pilon
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Hidrologia Florestal, Floresta Estadual de Assis, Instituto Florestal, Assis, São Paulo 19802-970, Brazil
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Caixa Postal 6109, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-865, Brazil
| | - Davi R. Rossatto
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus de Jaboticabal, Jaboticabal, São Paulo 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Giselda Durigan
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Hidrologia Florestal, Floresta Estadual de Assis, Instituto Florestal, Assis, São Paulo 19802-970, Brazil
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Russell-Smith J, Evans J, Edwards AC, Simms A. Assessing ecological performance thresholds in fire-prone Kakadu National Park, northern Australia. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Russell-Smith
- Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research; Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods; Charles Darwin University; Darwin Northern Territory 0909 Australia
- Long Term Ecological Research Network; Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network; Australia
| | - Jay Evans
- Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research; Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods; Charles Darwin University; Darwin Northern Territory 0909 Australia
- Long Term Ecological Research Network; Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network; Australia
| | - Andrew C. Edwards
- Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research; Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods; Charles Darwin University; Darwin Northern Territory 0909 Australia
- Long Term Ecological Research Network; Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network; Australia
| | - Anthony Simms
- Kakadu National Park, Parks Australia; Jabiru Northern Territory 0886 Australia
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Russell-Smith J. Fire management business in Australia's tropical savannas: Lighting the way for a new ecosystem services model for the north? ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/emr.12201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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