Perceptions of Forest Experts on the Impact of Wildfires on Ecosystem Services in Portugal

• Type: Article in International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2023

Authors

Pacheco, R (Author) Other; João Claro (Author) FEUP

Conference proceedings International

Title: Environmental Science and Engineering

Pages: 411-417

9th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research, ICEER 2022

Virtual, Online, 12 September 2022 through 16 September 2022

Indexing

Scopus

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-010-18C

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-43559-1_39

Abstract (EN): In Mediterranean Europe, one of the expected consequences of climate change is the intensification of wildfire events. Given the importance of forests in helping regulate climate and the many ecosystem services they provide, it is crucial to identify how wildfires might impact them. In this context, the present work aims to identify the wildfire impacts caused to the ecosystem services in Portugal. This is done through a survey directed to Portuguese fire experts. Using The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) definitions, experts were asked to share their perceptions on the fire impacts to forest ecosystem services in the short and long-term and indicate which services they feel require more policies to mitigate the impacts. The results showed that all ecosystem services are impacted to various degrees and different lengths of time. Regulating services were overall the most affected group and the most in need of specific policies. This study helped identify fire impacts, policy needs, and priorities in the perception of the experts in Portugal, which is valuable for guiding future research in various knowledge fields, especially related to raising awareness about behavioral adaptation to prevent and mitigate wildfire impacts in a changing climate. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6