The potential of integrated fire management in reducing greenhouse gases emissions from fire in the Brazilian cerrado

Abstract

Fire is essential to maintain the diversity and integrity of Cerrado. With global climate change and the intensification of human activities in the Biome, fire regime in Cerrado is being altered, allowing more frequent, intense, and damaging fires in the Biome. As a strategy to prevent large scales fires, Integrated Fire Management (IFM) is being legally implemented in Brazil since 2012, and it adds to the concept of fire management, ecological, social, and cultural aspects of fire. A common activity of IFM is prescribed burning, where fire is applied to control fuel accumulation and, consequently, it has potential to reduce greenhouse gases emissions when compared to wildfires. In Brazil, information about the potential of IFM activities in reducing emissions is limited, unlike other savannic countries. Thus, this research aims to investigate how IFM can be a mechanism to mitigate GHG emissions in natural vegetation of Cerrado, by modelling fire emissions from prescribed burning and wildfire. The model INFERNO/JULES, from the UK Met Office, will be used for this analysis. The model combines microclimate aspects with vegetation characteristics, essential elements to fire modelling, which allow for the representation of the Cerrado plant diversity. It is expected that areas under fire management emit a smaller percentage of GHG than areas affected by wildfires in natural vegetation areas of Cerrado. The results of this research can assist future fire management planning and application. This research will benefit from the internship at the Met Office to support the learning process of the model functioning. (AU)