Spatial and Temporal Trends of Burnt Area in Angola: Implications for Natural Vegetation and Protected Area Management

Fire is a key driver of natural ecosystems in Africa. However, human activity and climate change have altered fire frequency and severity, with negative consequences for biodiversity conservation. Angola ranks among the countries with the highest fire activity in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, w...

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Main Authors: Silvia Catarino, Maria Manuel Romeiras, Rui Figueira, Valentine Aubard, João M. N. Silva, José M. C. Pereira
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
Series:Diversity
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/8/307
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spelling doaj-b549a86dddb940ddb8c0a037c05057e92020-11-25T03:03:52ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182020-08-011230730710.3390/d12080307Spatial and Temporal Trends of Burnt Area in Angola: Implications for Natural Vegetation and Protected Area ManagementSilvia Catarino0Maria Manuel Romeiras1Rui Figueira2Valentine Aubard3João M. N. Silva4José M. C. Pereira5Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food (LEAF), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, PortugalLinking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food (LEAF), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, PortugalLinking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food (LEAF), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, PortugalForest Research Centre (CEF), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, PortugalForest Research Centre (CEF), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, PortugalForest Research Centre (CEF), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, PortugalFire is a key driver of natural ecosystems in Africa. However, human activity and climate change have altered fire frequency and severity, with negative consequences for biodiversity conservation. Angola ranks among the countries with the highest fire activity in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal trends of the annual burnt area in Angola, from 2001 to 2019, and their association with terrestrial ecoregions, land cover, and protected areas. Based on satellite imagery, we analyzed the presence of significant trends in burnt area, applying the contextual Mann–Kendall test and the Theil–Sen slope estimator. Data on burnt areas were obtained from the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) burnt area product and the analyses were processed in TerrSet. Our results showed that ca. 30% of the country’s area burned every year. The highest percentage of annual burnt area was found in northeast and southeast Angola, which showed large clusters of decreasing trends of burnt area. The clusters of increasing trends were found mainly in central Angola, associated with savannas and grasslands of Angolan Miombo woodlands. The protected areas of Cameia, Luengue-Luiana, and Mavinga exhibited large areas of decreasing trends of burnt area. Conversely, 23% of the Bicuar National Park was included in clusters of increasing trends. Distinct patterns of land cover were found in areas of significant trends, where the clusters of increasing trends showed a higher fraction of forest cover (80%) than the clusters of decreasing trends (55%). The documentation of burnt area trends was very important in tropical regions, since it helped define conservation priorities and management strategies, allowing more effective management of forests and fires in countries with few human and financial resources.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/8/307wildfiresMODIS burnt area productWWF ecoregionsland coverMiombo woodlandsbiodiversity conservation
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Silvia Catarino
Maria Manuel Romeiras
Rui Figueira
Valentine Aubard
João M. N. Silva
José M. C. Pereira
spellingShingle Silvia Catarino
Maria Manuel Romeiras
Rui Figueira
Valentine Aubard
João M. N. Silva
José M. C. Pereira
Spatial and Temporal Trends of Burnt Area in Angola: Implications for Natural Vegetation and Protected Area Management
Diversity
wildfires
MODIS burnt area product
WWF ecoregions
land cover
Miombo woodlands
biodiversity conservation
author_facet Silvia Catarino
Maria Manuel Romeiras
Rui Figueira
Valentine Aubard
João M. N. Silva
José M. C. Pereira
author_sort Silvia Catarino
title Spatial and Temporal Trends of Burnt Area in Angola: Implications for Natural Vegetation and Protected Area Management
title_short Spatial and Temporal Trends of Burnt Area in Angola: Implications for Natural Vegetation and Protected Area Management
title_full Spatial and Temporal Trends of Burnt Area in Angola: Implications for Natural Vegetation and Protected Area Management
title_fullStr Spatial and Temporal Trends of Burnt Area in Angola: Implications for Natural Vegetation and Protected Area Management
title_full_unstemmed Spatial and Temporal Trends of Burnt Area in Angola: Implications for Natural Vegetation and Protected Area Management
title_sort spatial and temporal trends of burnt area in angola: implications for natural vegetation and protected area management
publisher MDPI AG
series Diversity
issn 1424-2818
publishDate 2020-08-01
description Fire is a key driver of natural ecosystems in Africa. However, human activity and climate change have altered fire frequency and severity, with negative consequences for biodiversity conservation. Angola ranks among the countries with the highest fire activity in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal trends of the annual burnt area in Angola, from 2001 to 2019, and their association with terrestrial ecoregions, land cover, and protected areas. Based on satellite imagery, we analyzed the presence of significant trends in burnt area, applying the contextual Mann–Kendall test and the Theil–Sen slope estimator. Data on burnt areas were obtained from the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) burnt area product and the analyses were processed in TerrSet. Our results showed that ca. 30% of the country’s area burned every year. The highest percentage of annual burnt area was found in northeast and southeast Angola, which showed large clusters of decreasing trends of burnt area. The clusters of increasing trends were found mainly in central Angola, associated with savannas and grasslands of Angolan Miombo woodlands. The protected areas of Cameia, Luengue-Luiana, and Mavinga exhibited large areas of decreasing trends of burnt area. Conversely, 23% of the Bicuar National Park was included in clusters of increasing trends. Distinct patterns of land cover were found in areas of significant trends, where the clusters of increasing trends showed a higher fraction of forest cover (80%) than the clusters of decreasing trends (55%). The documentation of burnt area trends was very important in tropical regions, since it helped define conservation priorities and management strategies, allowing more effective management of forests and fires in countries with few human and financial resources.
topic wildfires
MODIS burnt area product
WWF ecoregions
land cover
Miombo woodlands
biodiversity conservation
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/8/307
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