Post-Fire Intervention (Oral Communications)
Tracks
Arrábida Room
| Thursday, May 18, 2023 |
| 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM |
| Oral Communications |
Speaker
Paulo Mateus
AGIF
Chair
Biography
Born in 1970 in Porto, Portugal, he completed his Degree in Forestry Engineering in 1994 (Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro University, UTAD). Pos Graduated in 1995 on Natural Resource Management (UTAD). Master’s degree in 2015 on Forestry Engineering (UTAD).
• Since January of 2019, member of The Board of Directors of AGIF – Agência para a Gestão Integrada de Fogos Rurais, I.P.
• Member of The Commission uncharged to install AGIF – 2018.
• Advisor of Estrutura de Missão para Instalação do Sistema de Gestão Integrada de Fogos Rurais, 2017.
• Assembleia da República, Member of Comissão Técnica Independente, to analise Pedrogão wild fires of 17 e 24 de July, (Law n.º 49-A/2017 de 10 de julho), 2017.
• Between December 2012 and July 2017, Senior Technician in the Project Planning and Evaluation Division of Nature Conservation and Forest Institute.
• Simwood, Member of Advisory Board) International Project SIMWOOD, 2015-2017
• Between 2011 and June 2012, Delegate of Minister of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Land Use Planning at the National Civil Protection Commission.
• Between 2011 and June 2012, Delegate of the National Forest Authority in the Project Stakeholders Committee: Fire Engine at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Portucel-Soporcel Company.
• Between 2009 and June 2012, Member of UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire.
• Between September 2008 and June 2012, National Director of the National Forest Authority.
• Between 2008 and 2011, Executive director of EEA Grants Project - Territory Infrastructure and Forest Defense against Fires.
• Between 2008 and 2009, Coordinator of the Portugal-Spain Bilateral Commission to prevent and fight forest fires as part of the XXI Portugal-Spain Summit.
• Between 2006 and 2008, President of the Representatives of National Forest Fire Defense Council.
• Between 2006 and 2012, Expert of the European Commission in Forest Fire Defense.
• Between April 2006 and August 2008, Deputy- General Director of the Forest Resources General Direction.
• In March 2006, Coordinator of “US Technical and Operational Support to Portugal in the field of application of Prescribed Fire technique”.
• Between October 2005 and Mach 2006, Senior Advisor on Forest Defense Against Fires, in the North Forest Region of the Forest Resources General Direction.
• In 2005, “Application of Prescribed Fire” Course in south France.
• Between 2004 and 2005, Chief Deputy of Forest Fire National Division of Forest Resources General Direction.
• Between 2003 and 2004, Chief Deputy of Forest Protection and Conservation Division of Entre Douro e Minho Agricultural Regional Direction, Porto.
• In 2001, “Application of Prescribed Fire” Course in Florida, EUA, and achieved the National Interagency Prescribed Fire certificate in prescribed fire technique.
• In 1998, working visit to the National Interagency Fire Centre, Boise, Idaho, United States of America.
• From 1997 to 2003, coordinator of lookout towers and fire Prevention Centres.
• From 1997 to 2003, project manager of “Forest fire protection project in Entre Douro e Minho Regional Direction”– Reg. (CEE) n. 2158/92.
• Between 1996 and 2004, forest owner’s trainer in forest fires issues.
• From 1995 to 1996, at the Portuguese Forest Institute, technical-finance annalist of forest projects - European funds.
• From 1994 to 1995, assistant researcher in the Forestry Department, Fire Sector, in Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro University – Vila Real.
• His professional experience has begun in Finland in 1991 as an agro-forestry worker.
Dr. Tongxin Hu
Northeast Forestry University
OC49 - Effect of fire disturbance on soil respiration and nitrogen availability in boreal forest of China.
Abstract
Fire is a crucial event that regulates the soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycle in boreal forest ecosystems. Only few studies have detected how fire affects soil respiration (Rs) which including soil heterotrophic (Rh) and autotrophic (Ra) respiration, and restoration type (natural restoration versus afforestation) after fire disturbance effect on N availability in boreal forest of China. In this study, we examined the response of Rs and N net mineralisation rates (Rmin) to fire in a Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii) forest of northeast China. Our results showed that, 1) compared with unburned control stands, fire disturbance significantly increased Rh by ca. 24%, and significantly decreased Ra by ca. 54% in burned stands; 2) soil inorganic N pool of the upper and lower layers of the regenerated stands remained significantly lower than in burned stands; 3) Restoration type also had significant effects on upper layer soil N availability; compared with afforestation, natural restoration was more beneficial for the accumulation of soil inorganic N and the recovery of Rmin after fire disturbance. Specifically, the concentration of inorganic N and the mean Rmin in upper layer soils in the natural restoration stands were approximately 41% greater and 3.6 times greater, respectively, than in the afforestation stands. Our findings demonstrated that forest fires can cause considerable losses of soil C and N in a boreal forest ecosystem of China, proactive management of forest regeneration should be carried out after forest fire disturbances.
Biography
Doctor of Science in Agriculture, associate professor, graduate supervisor. The main research fields are forest fire ecology, forest fire prediction and forest fire management. Currently member of the International Association for fire ecology, member of the China Forestry Youth Working Committee, chairman of the National Innovation Alliance of Forest and Grassland Fire Prevention and Control Technology, and member of the China Forest Fire Protection Association. Wrote 1 book published by Science Press and more than 40 papers, including 23 SCI papers.
Cristina Mágoas
Centre For Ecology, Evolution And Environmental Changes
OC50 - How Eucalyptus globulus and Acacia longifolia behave after-fire in Portugal?
Abstract
Objectives: The assessment of a naturalized Eucalyptus globulus and an invasive Acacia longifolia behaviour after off-season fires in Portugal was performed by studying 1) natural regeneration of E. globulus in managed and unmanaged plantations and surrounding areas of isolated seed-trees and 2) the bacteriome diversity inside A. longifolia root-nodules. Also, the impact of A. longifolia green-waste compost (GWC) on E. globulus and other native species' growth and survival was inferred.
Methods: Natural regeneration of Eucalyptus globulus plantations and in surrounding areas of seed-trees affected by June and October 2017 fires was assessed and compared with unburnt areas. The bacterial community was identified after collecting A. longifolia root-nodules from unburnt and burnt areas affected by the 2017 October fire. In addition, the growth and survival of E. globulus were evaluated after incorporating GWC after a fire.
Results: Fire date and pre-fire management influenced E. globulus natural regeneration, with greater establishment in unmanaged plantations affected by the October fire and the presence of seed-trees enhanced establishment. A. longifolia bacteriome has lower diversity after fire, but the main symbionts were nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., Bradyrhizobium spp.), indicating a specialization that could enhance post-fire invasion. The incorporation of GWC potentiated species growth, increasing survival.
Conclusions: Pre-fire management restrained E. globulus establishment even after autumn fires, and seed-trees must be considered an important seed source. Acacia longifolia established promiscuous symbioses while adapting to a disturbed environment, effectively outcompeting other species. GWC incorporation had a positive impact on vegetation recovery in degraded ecosystems.
Methods: Natural regeneration of Eucalyptus globulus plantations and in surrounding areas of seed-trees affected by June and October 2017 fires was assessed and compared with unburnt areas. The bacterial community was identified after collecting A. longifolia root-nodules from unburnt and burnt areas affected by the 2017 October fire. In addition, the growth and survival of E. globulus were evaluated after incorporating GWC after a fire.
Results: Fire date and pre-fire management influenced E. globulus natural regeneration, with greater establishment in unmanaged plantations affected by the October fire and the presence of seed-trees enhanced establishment. A. longifolia bacteriome has lower diversity after fire, but the main symbionts were nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., Bradyrhizobium spp.), indicating a specialization that could enhance post-fire invasion. The incorporation of GWC potentiated species growth, increasing survival.
Conclusions: Pre-fire management restrained E. globulus establishment even after autumn fires, and seed-trees must be considered an important seed source. Acacia longifolia established promiscuous symbioses while adapting to a disturbed environment, effectively outcompeting other species. GWC incorporation had a positive impact on vegetation recovery in degraded ecosystems.
Biography
.
Dr Carmen Sánchez-García
Swansea University
OC51 - Socio-economic and environmental implications of wildfire ash. A global dataset of chemical characteristics
Abstract
During and after wildfires, the mobilisation of potentially harmful constituents in ash produced from biomass combustion poses widespread risks to society (e.g., risks to human health, and socio-economic and environmental impacts). To anticipate and mitigate these risks a fuller understanding of ash chemical composition is needed. We present a global dataset on ash constituents from wildfires occurring in a variety of ecosystems and burn severity conditions worldwide and examine their potential societal and environmental implications. We analysed physicochemical properties, including major nutrients and toxic metals for 148 ash samples, and completed an extensive review of studies analysing chemical composition of wildfire ash.
The main components in the ash (mean; minimum and maximum) were organic carbon (204; 2.5 – 450 g kg-1), calcium (47.9; 1.3 – 215 g kg-1), aluminium (17.9; 0.6 – 69.3 g kg-1), and iron (17.1; 0.6 – 77.2 g kg-1), while the largest concentrations of metals of concern for human and ecosystem health were observed for manganese (1,488; 34.5 – 15,350 mg kg-1), zinc (181; 25.5 – 1,016 mg kg-1), and lead (67; 1 – 782 mg kg-1). Burn severity and ash sampling timing were key factors influencing chemical parameters like pH, carbon, nitrogen, calcium, aluminium, and iron. In some ashes the concentrations of some elements of concern were very close to or exceeded international contamination standards for sediments and soils. These results will be relevant to an interdisciplinary audience and can be used to predict and assess risks from the mobilisation of chemical constituents following wildfires.
The main components in the ash (mean; minimum and maximum) were organic carbon (204; 2.5 – 450 g kg-1), calcium (47.9; 1.3 – 215 g kg-1), aluminium (17.9; 0.6 – 69.3 g kg-1), and iron (17.1; 0.6 – 77.2 g kg-1), while the largest concentrations of metals of concern for human and ecosystem health were observed for manganese (1,488; 34.5 – 15,350 mg kg-1), zinc (181; 25.5 – 1,016 mg kg-1), and lead (67; 1 – 782 mg kg-1). Burn severity and ash sampling timing were key factors influencing chemical parameters like pH, carbon, nitrogen, calcium, aluminium, and iron. In some ashes the concentrations of some elements of concern were very close to or exceeded international contamination standards for sediments and soils. These results will be relevant to an interdisciplinary audience and can be used to predict and assess risks from the mobilisation of chemical constituents following wildfires.
Biography
Carmen Sánchez-García is a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Wildfire Research at Swansea University (UK). She's interested in the effects of fire on soils, soil carbon and water contamination.
Dr. Antonio Girona-García
researcher
Biodiversity Research Institute
OC53 - Post-fire soil erosion mitigation treatments: a global cost-effectiveness analysis
Abstract
The effectiveness of post-fire soil erosion mitigation treatments is relatively well-known, but there is a research gap as to how effective they are in relation to their costs since explicit monetary figures are rarely reported in the literature. In this work we determined the cost-effectiveness (CE) of these treatments from the existing literature on field studies conducted in wildfire-affected areas of the USA, Canada, Spain, and Portugal.
We assessed the efficiency at reducing erosion of the available treatment types and materials, obtained from field studies, and compared it against the real costs of application from each of the cases, to obtain their CE (cost of preventing a soil loss of 1 Mg per hectare for the first post-fire year).
Treatments providing a protective ground cover showed the best CE values, especially for agricultural straw (1,137 ± 1,282 $ Mg-1 ha-1) and wood-residue (1,966 ± 2,496 $ Mg-1 ha-1) mulches, while for hydromulch it was of 6,734 ± 9,228 $ Mg-1 ha-1. The CE of barriers was of 2,276 ± 2,348 $ Mg-1 ha-1, influenced by their implementation costs and design. Seeding showed a good CE (933 ± 1233 $ Mg-1 ha-1), related to its low cost.
Post-fire soil erosion mitigation treatments are cost-effective if applied in burned areas where background erosion rates exceed the tolerable erosion thresholds, and are less costly than the loss of the values-at-risk they are protecting. The assessment of post-fire soil erosion risk is vital to ensure the best use of the available resources.
We assessed the efficiency at reducing erosion of the available treatment types and materials, obtained from field studies, and compared it against the real costs of application from each of the cases, to obtain their CE (cost of preventing a soil loss of 1 Mg per hectare for the first post-fire year).
Treatments providing a protective ground cover showed the best CE values, especially for agricultural straw (1,137 ± 1,282 $ Mg-1 ha-1) and wood-residue (1,966 ± 2,496 $ Mg-1 ha-1) mulches, while for hydromulch it was of 6,734 ± 9,228 $ Mg-1 ha-1. The CE of barriers was of 2,276 ± 2,348 $ Mg-1 ha-1, influenced by their implementation costs and design. Seeding showed a good CE (933 ± 1233 $ Mg-1 ha-1), related to its low cost.
Post-fire soil erosion mitigation treatments are cost-effective if applied in burned areas where background erosion rates exceed the tolerable erosion thresholds, and are less costly than the loss of the values-at-risk they are protecting. The assessment of post-fire soil erosion risk is vital to ensure the best use of the available resources.
Biography
Antonio Girona-García is a researcher at the Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, CSIC-UniOvi-PA, Spain). He holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences (2019, Univ. of Zaragoza, Spain), MSc in Soil and Water Management (2015, Univ. of Lleida, Spain), and BSc in Environmental Sciences (2013, Univ. Miguel Hernández of Elche, Spain). He visited the Institute of Agrobiology and Natural Resources of Sevilla (IRNAS-CSIC, Spain, 2014) and the Moscow Forestry Sciences Laboratory of the US Forest Service (ID, USA, 2018). Between 2019-2022, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the CESAM (Univ. of Aveiro, Portugal). His research focuses on post-fire soil erosion and carbon dynamics
Vera Samburova
Desert Research Institute
OC54 - Changes in soil water repellency caused by four 2021-2022 western U.S. mega fires
Abstract
It is well known that heat from fires can greatly enhance soil water repellency due to heat-induced changes in the chemical composition of the soil organic matter (SOM). Fire-induced soil water repellency can result in the reduction of soil infiltration, which can lead to an increase in surface runoff, erosion, and the potential for flooding and mudslides. Recently increased frequency and intensity of western U.S. wildfires poses an important question: what are the short- and long-term effects of wildfires on soil’s hydrologic responses, including water repellency and what is the role of SOM in post-fire soil water repellency?
In the summer and fall of 2021 and 2022, there were ongoing mega-wildfires (Caldor, Dixie, Beckwourth Complex, and Mosquito) in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. These wildfires provided us an opportunity to collect post-fire soil samples and study the effects of fires on the physical and chemical properties of soils. We collected over 70 soil samples and perform multiple water-droplet penetration time tests in the field and laboratory contact angle measurements with the goniometer technique. Our field measurements of post-fire soils showed a significant increase in the water droplet penetration time (~ 5–10 times). The average contact angle of the burned soils was significantly higher (p-value <0.001) than the average contact angle of the control soils (~1.1–9 times). These results highlight the need for future research on the chemical composition of post-fire soils and need to study for how long the soil water repellency can last after fires.
In the summer and fall of 2021 and 2022, there were ongoing mega-wildfires (Caldor, Dixie, Beckwourth Complex, and Mosquito) in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. These wildfires provided us an opportunity to collect post-fire soil samples and study the effects of fires on the physical and chemical properties of soils. We collected over 70 soil samples and perform multiple water-droplet penetration time tests in the field and laboratory contact angle measurements with the goniometer technique. Our field measurements of post-fire soils showed a significant increase in the water droplet penetration time (~ 5–10 times). The average contact angle of the burned soils was significantly higher (p-value <0.001) than the average contact angle of the control soils (~1.1–9 times). These results highlight the need for future research on the chemical composition of post-fire soils and need to study for how long the soil water repellency can last after fires.
Biography
Dr. Samburova is an Associate Research Professor at the Division of Atmospheric Sciences (Desert Research Institute Reno, NV). She received her master's degree in Analytical Chemistry at the Moscow State Lomonosov University (Russia), and her PhD in Environmental Organic Chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich, Switzerland). The focus of her current research is speciation and characterization of organic compounds in the atmosphere and post-fire soils.
João Pinho
Head of Department at ICNF
ICNF
OC77 - Post-fire recovery in Portugal: 100 years in flashback, 10 years to move forward
Abstract
Only recently has post-fire recovery been properly recognized in the Portuguese public polices as a true strategic fire management process despite large areas of the territory burned recurrently. The new integrated fire management governance (put in process after the 2017 fire season) represents one serious opportunity to assert itself as a key process, regarding forest fires risk mitigation and adaptation.
Based on the historical periods of the fire risk management public policies and on current projects, the past 100 years of post-fire recovery policies are analyzed, as well as the challenges for the next decade and the drivers behind.
In the initial phases of the 20th century, the State and private landowners’ response was based on reforestation. From the 1960s on, post-fire recovery public intervention became more complex and the 2003 fire season triggered a shift in post-fire recovery strategies, albeit with low practical results.
In line with the National Forest Strategy (2006) and the brand-new Integrated Wildland Fire Management System Act (2021), post-fire recovery is now envisioned as an essential part of the rural fire management component, coordinated by ICNF, the agency responsible for forest and landscape management, activities which also showed a great increase after 2017.
Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the new post-fire recovery strategy is also an opportunity for risk reduction and readiness improvements, as it is focused on better landscape restoration, people engagement and empowerment, as well as fire adaptation of the 21st century rural communities.
Based on the historical periods of the fire risk management public policies and on current projects, the past 100 years of post-fire recovery policies are analyzed, as well as the challenges for the next decade and the drivers behind.
In the initial phases of the 20th century, the State and private landowners’ response was based on reforestation. From the 1960s on, post-fire recovery public intervention became more complex and the 2003 fire season triggered a shift in post-fire recovery strategies, albeit with low practical results.
In line with the National Forest Strategy (2006) and the brand-new Integrated Wildland Fire Management System Act (2021), post-fire recovery is now envisioned as an essential part of the rural fire management component, coordinated by ICNF, the agency responsible for forest and landscape management, activities which also showed a great increase after 2017.
Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the new post-fire recovery strategy is also an opportunity for risk reduction and readiness improvements, as it is focused on better landscape restoration, people engagement and empowerment, as well as fire adaptation of the 21st century rural communities.
Biography
João Pinho has a degree in Forestry from the Instituto Superior de Agronomia/School of Agriculture and a master's degree in Regional and Urban Planning from the Technical University of Lisbon.
He is currently head of the Department of Rural Fire Management at the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forest, and has worked in forest planning and projects, rural fire management, forestry, forest policy and history, forest restoration, land use planning and nature conservation, having published several articles and chapters in technical and scientific books and magazines.
