Fostering Post-Fire Research Towards a More Balanced Wildfire Science Agenda to Navigate Global Environmental Change

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2025

Authors

Gonçalves, J (Author) Other; Portela, AP (Author) Other; Regos, A (Author) Other; Sil, A (Author) Other; Marcos, B (Author) Other; Alonso, J (Author) Other; Joao Honrado (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Fire

Vol. 8

Final page: 51

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-018-6AB

DOI: 10.3390/fire8020051

Abstract (EN): As wildfires become more frequent and severe in the face of global environmental change, it becomes crucial not only to assess, prevent, and suppress them but also to manage the aftermath effectively. Given the temporal interconnections between these issues, we explored the concept of the wildfire science loop-a framework categorizing wildfire research into three stages: before, during, and after wildfires. Based on this partition, we performed a systematic review by linking particular topics and keywords to each stage, aiming to describe each one and quantify the volume of published research. The results from our review identified a substantial imbalance in the wildfire research landscape, with the post-fire stage being markedly underrepresented. Research focusing on the after stage is 1.5 times (or 46%) less prevalent than that on the before stage and 1.8 (or 77%) less than that on the during stage. This discrepancy is likely driven by a historical emphasis on prevention and suppression due to immediate societal needs. Aiming to address and overcome this imbalance, we present our perspectives regarding a strategic agenda to enhance our understanding of post-fire processes and outcomes, emphasizing the socioecological impacts of wildfires and the management of post-fire recovery in a multi-level and transdisciplinary approach. These proposals advocate integrating knowledge-driven research on burn severity and ecosystem mitigation/recovery with practical, application-driven management strategies and strategic policy development. This framework also supports a comprehensive agenda that spans short-term emergency responses to long-term adaptive management, ensuring that post-fire landscapes are better understood, managed, and restored. We emphasize the critical importance of the after-fire stage in breaking negative planning cycles, enhancing management practices, and implementing nature-based solutions with a vision of building back better. Strengthening a comprehensive and balanced research agenda focused on the after-fire stage will also enhance our ability to close the loop of socioecological processes involved in adaptive wildfire management and improve the alignment with international agendas such as the UN's Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the EU's Nature Restoration Law. By addressing this research imbalance, we can significantly improve our ability to restore ecosystems, enhance post-fire resilience, and develop adaptive wildfire management strategies that are better suited to the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 29