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Fire in South America's wetlands: temporal and spatial patterns.

Fernando F Goulart^1,2, Fábio O Roque^2,3, Renata Libonati⁴

¹Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias

|March 18, 2026

Summary

South American wetlands face destruction from various threats, including fire. This study identifies key ecoregions like the Pantanal and Cerrado as hotspots for wetland fires, highlighting the need for better management.

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Environmental Science
Conservation Biology

Background:

Wetlands are biodiverse ecosystems providing essential services but are poorly understood and protected.
South American wetlands face rapid destruction due to infrastructure, land-use change, pollution, and fire.
Limited research exists on fire patterns in South American wetlands, hindering effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

To assess and synthesize fire patterns across South American wetlands.
To identify ecoregions most impacted by wetland fires.
To inform large-scale, integrated fire management strategies for these vital ecosystems.

Main Methods:

Overlaying wetland maps with terrestrial ecoregions.
Utilizing satellite-derived fire activity indicators.
Ranking ecoregions based on fire occurrences and burned wetland area.

Main Results:

The Pantanal, Cerrado, Llanos, Beni savanna, and Humid and Dry Chaco were identified as the most affected ecoregions.
These regions accounted for the majority of fire foci and the largest burned wetland areas in South America.
A significant portion of South America's ecoregions exhibit wetland fire activity.

Conclusions:

There is an urgent need for a cross-national fire warning system for South American wetlands.
Effective fire management requires collaboration among decision-makers, local communities, scientists, and fire brigades.
Understanding and addressing wetland fire patterns is crucial for conserving South American biodiversity and ecosystem services.