scholarly journals Better biodiversity accounting is needed to prevent bioperversity and maximize co‐benefits from savanna burning

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Corey ◽  
Alan N. Andersen ◽  
Sarah Legge ◽  
John C. Z. Woinarski ◽  
Ian J. Radford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Savanna Burning

scholarly journals Emission estimates of selected volatile organic compounds from tropical savanna burning in northern Australia

2003 ◽  
Vol 108 (D3) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Shirai ◽  
D. R. Blake ◽  
S. Meinardi ◽  
F. S. Rowland ◽  
J. Russell-Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Tropical Savanna ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Savanna Burning

Fire patterns in north Australian savannas: extending the reach of incentives for savanna fire emissions abatement

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Whitehead ◽  
Jeremy Russell-Smith ◽  
Cameron Yates
Keyword(s):  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Rainfall Gradient ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Savanna Burning ◽  
Anthropogenic Fires ◽  
Large Random Sample

Anthropogenic fires in Australia’s fire-prone savannas produce up to 3% of the nation’s accountable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Incentives to improve fire management have been created by a nationally accredited savanna burning emissions abatement methodology applying to 483 000 km2 of relatively high-rainfall (>1000 mm p.a.) regions. Drawing on 15 years of fire mapping, this paper assesses appropriate biophysical boundaries for a savanna burning methodology extended to cover lower-rainfall regions. We examine a large random sample of points with at least 300 mm of annual rainfall, to show that: (a) relative fire frequencies (percentage of years with fire) decline from 33.3% in higher-rainfall regions (>1000 mm) to straddling ~10% in the range 300–700 mm; (b) there are no marked discontinuities in fire frequency or fire seasonality down the rainfall gradient; (c) at all annual rainfalls, fire frequency is higher when rainfall is more strongly seasonal (very low rainfall in the driest quarter); (d) below 500 mm fire regimes are particularly variable and a large proportion of sampled sites had no fire over the study period; (e) fire is more likely to occur later in the fire season (generating relatively higher emissions) in the 600–700-mm annual rainfall band than in other parts of the rainfall gradient; (f) woodland savannas are most common above and predominantly grassland systems are more common below ~600-mm annual rainfall. We propose that development of a complementary lower-rainfall savanna burning methodology apply to regions between 600 and 1000-mm annual rainfall and ≤15 mm of rainfall in the driest quarter, adding an area more than 1.5 times the existing methodology’s coverage. Given greater variability in biophysical influences on fire regimes and observed levels of fire frequency within this lower-rainfall domain, we suggest that criteria for determining baseline (pre-project) periods require estimates of mean annual emissions equivalent in precision to the project on which the higher-rainfall methodology was based.

scholarly journals Savanna burning and the assessment of long-term fire experiments with particular reference to Zimbabwe

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 611-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Furley ◽  
Robert M. Rees ◽  
Casey M. Ryan ◽  
Gustavo Saiz
Keyword(s):  
Stocking Density ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Herbaceous Plant ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Vegetation Surveys ◽  
Savanna Burning ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Fire Experiments

Long-term fire experiments in savannnas are rare, given the difficulties and demands of operation. Controlled fire experiments date from colonial times in West Africa, although the largest and best-known is located in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. The achievements of these experiments are assessed from examples in Africa, South America and Australia. A less well-known experiment in Zimbabwe was sited at the Marondera Grassland Research Station and ran from 1953 to 1991. Some of the preliminary results on the impact of fire on vegetation are analysed and compared with further vegetation surveys in 2007. Studies on tree growth in this miombo savanna woodland indicate that the plots burned at three- and four-year intervals recovered to greater mean heights than the unburned control plots. There was no significant variation between treatments, suggesting that the few trees that did survive in the frequently burned plots were large specimens. Brachystegia and Julbernadia dominated the plots throughout and after the experiment. Basal area and stocking density were highest in the four-yearly burned plots but there was a high variability throughout the experiment, suggesting that many trees may have attained heights and bark thicknesses sufficient to protect from fire damage. Fire also affected the composition of the herbaceous plant community, but not the number of species. By the end of the experiment some grass and sedge species had flourished while others revealed greater susceptibility to fire, and fire-tolerant species predominated in the most frequently burned areas. The experimental design appeared to cope well with the variability between plots and indicated the soundness of the initial design and its implementation.

scholarly journals Savanna burning methodology for fire management and emissions reduction: a critical review of influencing factors

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tek Narayan Maraseni ◽  
Kathryn Reardon-Smith ◽  
Greg Griffiths ◽  
Armando Apan
Keyword(s):  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Emissions Reduction ◽  
Savanna Burning

scholarly journals Can savanna burning projects deliver measurable greenhouse emissions reductions and sustainable livelihood opportunities in fire-prone settings?

2013 ◽  
Vol 140 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Russell-Smith ◽  
Catherine Monagle ◽  
Margaret Jacobsohn ◽  
Robin L. Beatty ◽  
Bibiana Bilbao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Livelihood ◽  
Emissions Reductions ◽  
Greenhouse Emissions ◽  
Savanna Burning ◽  
In Fire

Improving estimates of savanna burning emissions for greenhouse accounting in northern Australia: limitations, challenges, applications

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Russell-Smith ◽  
Brett P. Murphy ◽  
C. P. (Mick) Meyer ◽  
Garry D. Cook ◽  
Stefan Maier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Fuel Load ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Savanna Burning ◽  
In Fire

Although biomass burning of savannas is recognised as a major global source of greenhouse gas emissions, quantification remains problematic with resulting regional emissions estimates often differing markedly. Here we undertake a critical assessment of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NGGI) savanna burning emissions methodology. We describe the methodology developed for, and results and associated uncertainties derived from, a landscape-scale emissions abatement project in fire-prone western Arnhem Land, northern Australia. The methodology incorporates (i) detailed fire history and vegetation structure and fuels type mapping derived from satellite imagery; (ii) field-based assessments of fuel load accumulation, burning efficiencies (patchiness, combustion efficiency, ash retention) and N : C composition; and (iii) application of standard, regionally derived emission factors. Importantly, this refined methodology differs from the NGGI by incorporation of fire seasonality and severity components, and substantial improvements in baseline data. We consider how the application of a fire management program aimed at shifting the seasonality of burning (from one currently dominated by extensive late dry season wildfires to one where strategic fire management is undertaken earlier in the year) can provide significant project-based emissions abatement. The approach has wider application to fire-prone savanna systems dominated by anthropogenic sources of ignition.

The management of climate change through prescribed Savanna burning: Emerging contributions of indigenous people in Northern Australia

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 374-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Whitehead ◽  
Paul Purdon ◽  
Jeremy Russell-Smith ◽  
Peter M. Cooke ◽  
Stephen Sutton
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Savanna Burning

scholarly journals Developing a savanna burning emissions abatement methodology for tussock grasslands in high rainfall regions of northern Australia

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Russell-Smith ◽  
Cameron Cameron Yates ◽  
Jay Evans ◽  
Mark Mark Desailly ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Northern Australia ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Savanna Burning

Savanna burning, greenhouse gas emissions and indigenous livelihoods: Introducing the Tiwi Carbon Study

2012 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 712-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNA E. RICHARDS ◽  
ALAN N. ANDERSEN ◽  
JON SCHATZ ◽  
ROBERT EAGER ◽  
TRACY Z. DAWES ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Savanna Burning

Savanna burning for biodiversity: Fire management for faunal conservation in Australian tropical savannas

2012 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 658-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALAN N. ANDERSEN ◽  
JOHN C. Z. WOINARSKI ◽  
CATHERINE L. PARR
Keyword(s):  
Fire Management ◽  
Tropical Savannas ◽  
Savanna Burning
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