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Reimagine fire science for the anthropocene
Jacquelyn K Shuman1, Jennifer K Balch2, Rebecca T Barnes3
1Terrestrial Sciences Section, Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA.
Global change is increasing fire danger, impacting ecosystems and human well-being. Future fire science must integrate diverse knowledge and predictive approaches to mitigate risks and adapt to a flammable world.
Area of Science:
- Ecosystem science
- Environmental science
- Global change research
Background:
- Fire is a natural global ecosystem component and human tool.
- Altered fire regimes are a key aspect of global change, with increasing impacts.
- Rising fire danger poses significant threats to human health, infrastructure, and ecosystem services.
Purpose of the Study:
- Outline barriers and opportunities for next-generation fire science.
- Provide guidance for future fire science research investment.
- Synthesize insights for innovation across disciplines.
Main Methods:
- Promoting coordinated research efforts.
- Embracing diverse knowledge systems and generation.
- Exploring fundamental fire science.
- Leveraging big data for societal benefit.
- Integrating human and natural systems in models.
Main Results:
- Fire science is at a critical transition point.
- Current approaches are often observational and fragmented.
- Need for more integrative and predictive models.
Conclusions:
- Shift towards integrated, predictive fire science is crucial.
- Overcoming institutional silos and accessing diverse knowledge is essential.
- Research must support mitigation and adaptation strategies for a flammable future.
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