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Understanding fire drivers and relative impacts in different Chinese forest ecosystems
Futao Guo1, Zhangwen Su2, Guangyu Wang1
1College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China; Sustainable Forest Management Laboratory, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
The Science of the Total Environment
|July 4, 2017
Summary
Forest fires in China exhibit distinct spatial patterns and drivers. Human factors, particularly infrastructure, dominate in boreal forests, while climate, especially temperature, is key in sub-tropical forests, necessitating tailored management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Forest Ecology
- Fire Science
- Environmental Management
Background:
- Forest fires pose significant threats to ecosystems and human safety.
- Understanding spatial patterns and driving factors of forest fires is crucial for effective management.
- China's diverse forest ecosystems experience varying fire regimes influenced by natural and anthropogenic factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify spatial patterns and driving factors of forest fires in China's boreal and sub-tropical forests.
- To compare the relative influence of human and climate factors on fire occurrence in different ecosystems.
- To inform the development of tailored fire prevention and management strategies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Ripley's K (d) function to analyze spatial clustering of fires.
- Employed logistic regression (LR) model to identify and quantify driving factors of fire occurrence.
- Analyzed data from 2000 to 2010 in Daxing'an Mountains (boreal) and Fujian province (sub-tropical).
Main Results:
- Fires were found to be spatially clustered in both study areas.
- In Daxing'an Mountains, infrastructure (human factor) was the most influential driver.
- In Fujian, temperature during the fire season (climate factor) was most critical.
- The LR model predicted ~80% of fires in Daxing'an Mountains and ~66% in Fujian.
Conclusions:
- Significant variations in fire drivers necessitate distinct management strategies for different Chinese forest ecosystems.
- Rapid socio-economic development correlates with altered fire regimes across diverse forest types.
- Increasing human influence on fire occurrence is anticipated with continued economic growth, requiring proactive national fire management adjustments.
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