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Recent fire regime characteristics and potential natural vegetation relationships in Spain

2002; Wiley; Volume: 13; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1658/1100-9233(2002)013[0663

1654-1103

Antonio Vázquez de la Cueva, Beatriz Pérez, Federico Fernández‐González, José M. Moreno,

Plant Ecology and Soil Science

Journal of Vegetation ScienceVolume 13, Issue 5 p. 663-676 Recent fire regime characteristics and potential natural vegetation relationships in Spain Antonio Vázquez, Antonio Vázquez Centro de Investigación Forestal, INIA, Ctra A Coruña km 7, E-28040 Madrid, SpainSearch for more papers by this authorBeatriz Pérez, Beatriz Pérez Facultad de Ciencias del Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, E-45071 Toledo, SpainSearch for more papers by this authorFederico Fernández-González, Corresponding Author Federico Fernández-González Facultad de Ciencias del Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, E-45071 Toledo, Spain Corresponding author; Fax +34925268840; E-mail Federico.Fdez@uclm.esSearch for more papers by this authorJosé M. Moreno, José M. Moreno Facultad de Ciencias del Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, E-45071 Toledo, SpainSearch for more papers by this author Antonio Vázquez, Antonio Vázquez Centro de Investigación Forestal, INIA, Ctra A Coruña km 7, E-28040 Madrid, SpainSearch for more papers by this authorBeatriz Pérez, Beatriz Pérez Facultad de Ciencias del Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, E-45071 Toledo, SpainSearch for more papers by this authorFederico Fernández-González, Corresponding Author Federico Fernández-González Facultad de Ciencias del Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, E-45071 Toledo, Spain Corresponding author; Fax +34925268840; E-mail Federico.Fdez@uclm.esSearch for more papers by this authorJosé M. Moreno, José M. Moreno Facultad de Ciencias del Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, E-45071 Toledo, SpainSearch for more papers by this author First published: 24 February 2002 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2002.tb02094.xCitations: 48AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract Abstract. In heavily altered landscapes, where vegetation is not natural and where people are the main source of ignitions, relationships between fire occurrence and climate conditions may be unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate to what extent territories with similar Potential Natural Vegetation (PNV) in peninsular Spain differ in their forest fire characteristics. From 1974 to 1994, more than 174 000 fires occurred. We used (1) the Spanish data base of forest fires, (2) a PNV map and (3) a land use map. Separate fire characteristics, based either on the number of fires occurred or the area burned, were obtained for each of the ca. 5000 grid-cells (10 km × 10 km) into which peninsular Spain is divided in the UTM projection. Also, meteorological conditions at the time of fire ignition, cause of ignition and present forest cover were referred to the same grid-cells as external factors potentially determinant of fire occurrence. The relationships between fire regime characteristics and PNV units were explored with Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The role of the three sets of external factors in the fire characteristics was evaluated with Redundancy Analysis (RDA). Groups of similar PNV types were clearly segregated, suggesting a gradient of fire characteristics. Higher fire incidence (higher frequencies and spatial incidence of fires, but lower proportions of grid-cells affected by large fires) was associated with Atlantic, warm territories with deciduous forests as PNV. Intermediate fire frequency and rotation period, but with a higher relative incidence of medium and large fires occurred in Mediterranean PNV units, dominated by sclerophyllous oak forests. Low fire frequency and long rotation periods, with strong seasonal and yearly variability occurred for PNV units in the cold uplands (Fagus, Pinus, Abies, Juniperus) or in the semi-arid, shrubby PNV units. The cause of ignition best explained the patterns of forest fire characteristics, followed by weather conditions. Our results indicate that, even in human influenced regions, climate and soil conditions exert control on the resulting forest fire characteristics, as indicated by the high segregation of the PNV types. However, the role of man was crucial in shifting the patterns of fire incidence. This was so that highest fire incidence occurred in regions that, otherwise, would be expected to have a much lower one, thus posing a serious threat for such areas. PNV maps, by providing a phytogeographical framework for characterizing forest fires, could be valuable tools for applying research results to forest fire management policies, taking properly into account the underlying determinant factors. Citing Literature Supporting Information Filename Description JVS_2094_sm_J013-010S.pdf494.9 KB Supporting info item Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article. Volume13, Issue5October 2002Pages 663-676 RelatedInformation