Abstract
Fire is an important evolutionary and ecological factor worldwide, especially in the Cerrado. Plants in fire-prone ecosystems have traits that enable them to persist and survive after fire, which, in turn, may influence ecosystem functioning, by impacting productivity and nutrient cycling. Although some of these processes have already been described for Cerrado vegetation, many ecological issues, spanning from the individual to the ecosystem levels, remain unclear, since fire effects extend beyond the individual and community level, significantly shaping the ecosystem functioning. In the context of climate change, it is imperative to understand how climate affects fire and how changes in fire behavior and regimes impact carbon, plants, and even animal communities. Uncontrolled fires may potentially exacerbate climate change through the release of fire-related greenhouse gases. Instead, we must explore how to use fire as a tool for maintaining the local and regional biodiversity, as well as ecosystem services. Our aim is to conduct a multi-taxa, multiscale, plot-based experiment in Central Brazil, in a long-term (10 years) established experiment . This project goes beyond assessing fire behavior on plants, it also focuses on the effects of fire on 1) above- and belowground components of plant communities using taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional approaches, 2) invertebrate, vertebrate, and plant-animal interactions, and 3) ecosystem functioning. Additionally, we aim to produce a conceptual model to understand how fire affects Cerrado vegetation and its dynamics. Finally, this proposal aims to connect the scientific data acquired from a long-term experiment with the local managers and actors involved in the planning of fire management. This approach would integrate the local fire brigade and traditional peoples to a group of multidisciplinary scientists, encouraging collaboration for a holistic understanding and suitable management of fire in the Cerrado. (AU)
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