Pyrogeographic zonation: Implications for fire management at the local level

Abstract

Fire management needs to consider the concept of pyrogeography, which highlights the coincidence of different human and natural factors that result in the fire incidence patterns found in a landscape. Recently, several studies have taken this concept further to define regions at the continental, macro-regional or national levels. However, our understanding of this concept is limited at the landscape scale. The present paper aims to adapt this approach at the local level via the hierarchical clustering of fire-related data applied to the La Sepultura biosphere reserve, the protected area with the highest wildfire incidence in Southern Mexico. The resulting clusters were not wholly contiguous yet show a specific spatial distribution. The paper relates these clusters to the spatial configuration of fire management activities in the area. It discusses the usefulness of pyrogeographic zones regarding the strategic planning of fire management activities.