Prescribed burning: how can it work to conserve the things we value?

Citations Over TimeTop 10% of 2011 papers

Abstract

Prescribed burning is a commonly applied management tool, and there has been considerable debate over the efficacy of its application. We review data relating to the effectiveness of prescribed burning in Australia. Specifically, we address two questions: (1) to what extent can fuel reduction burning reduce the risk of loss of human life and economic assets posed from wildfires? (2) To what extent can prescribed burning be used to reduce the risk of biodiversity loss? Data suggest that prescribed burning can achieve a reduction in the extent of wildfires; however, at such levels, the result is an overall increase in the total area of the landscape burnt. Simulation modelling indicates that fuel reduction has less influence than weather on the extent of unplanned fire. The need to incorporate ecological values into prescribed burning programmes is becoming increasingly important. Insufficient data are available to determine if existing programs have been successful. There are numerous factors that prevent the implementation of better prescribed burning practices; most relate to a lack of clearly defined, measurable objectives. An adaptive risk management framework combined with enhanced partnerships between scientists and fire-management agencies is necessary to ensure that ecological and fuel reduction objectives are achieved.

Related Papers

• → Lightning as a major driver of recent large fire years in North American boreal forests(2017)492 cited
• → Using Landsat data to assess fire and burn severity in the North American boreal forest region: an overview and summary of results(2008)350 cited
• → Converging and diverging burn rates in North American boreal forests from the Little Ice Age to the present(2022)35 cited
• → Simulation of prescribed burning strategies in south-west Tasmania, Australia: effects on unplanned fires, fire regimes, and ecological management values(2006)66 cited
• → The climate, the fuel and the land use: Long‐term regional variability of biomass burning in boreal forests(2018)43 cited