Fire management for effective biodiversity conservation in Brazilian savannas under current and future climate

• Grant number: 24/15038-8
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2030
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Natashi Aparecida Lima Pilon
• Grantee: Natashi Aparecida Lima Pilon
• Principal researcher abroad: Ann Carla Staver
• Institution abroad: Yale University, United States
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Giselda Durigan ; Ingrid Koch ; Rafael Silva Oliveira

Abstract

Fire is a crucial factor in maintaining the biodiversity, structure, and ecosystem functions of tropical savannas. However, the role of fire in this ecosystem is complex and can vary across different climates and soil conditions. Worldwide, there is a recognized need to apply fire management to protect savanna ecosystem services, such as water resources, and to safeguard society from wildfires. However, biodiversity is often not assessed in fire management plans. This project addresses this complexity by focusing on the effects of fire management in different seasons and environmental contexts. Specifically, we aim to: (i) evaluate how the implementation of integrated fire management has altered fire regimes in cerrado protected areas, including fire extent, season, size, intensity, and emissions; (ii) determine how managed fires in different seasons and environmental contexts affect plant functional responses, including reproduction and survival traits; (iii) examine how long-term landscape fire history influences plant diversity and vegetation structure across various climate and soil conditions; and (iv) use these insights to assess the vulnerability of cerrado biodiversity to climate change and identify where fire management can mitigate biodiversity loss. By integrating remote sensing with detailed field observations at core sites, this research will provide important insights for optimizing fire management strategies to support biodiversity conservation under current and future climate scenarios. Collaboration with local fire managers and policymakers will ensure that the findings directly inform conservation practices, addressing the challenges posed by climate change and land-use transformations in this threatened ecosystem. (AU)