Stakeholder perceptions of wildfire management strategies as nature-based solutions in two Iberian biosphere reserves
Increased large and high-intensity wildfires cause large socioeconomic and ecological impacts, which demand improved landscape management approaches in which both ecological and societal dimensions are integrated. Engaging society in fire management requires a better understanding of stakeholder per...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Resilience Alliance
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol28/iss1/art39/ |
| _version_ | 1797853161896017920 |
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| author | Judit Lecina-Diaz João C. Campos Silvana Pais Claudia Carvalho-Santos João C. Azevedo Paulo Fernandes João F. Gonçalves Núria Aquilué José V. Roces-Díaz María Agrelo de la Torre Lluis Brotons María-Luisa Chas-Amil Angela Lomba Andrea Duane Francisco Moreira Julia M. Touza Virgilio Hermoso Ângelo Sil Joana R. Vicente Joao Honrado Adrián Regos |
| author_facet | Judit Lecina-Diaz João C. Campos Silvana Pais Claudia Carvalho-Santos João C. Azevedo Paulo Fernandes João F. Gonçalves Núria Aquilué José V. Roces-Díaz María Agrelo de la Torre Lluis Brotons María-Luisa Chas-Amil Angela Lomba Andrea Duane Francisco Moreira Julia M. Touza Virgilio Hermoso Ângelo Sil Joana R. Vicente Joao Honrado Adrián Regos |
| author_sort | Judit Lecina-Diaz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Increased large and high-intensity wildfires cause large socioeconomic and ecological impacts, which demand improved landscape management approaches in which both ecological and societal dimensions are integrated. Engaging society in fire management requires a better understanding of stakeholder perceptions of wildfires and landscape management. We analyze stakeholder perceptions about wildfire-landscape interactions in abandoned rural landscapes of southern Europe, and how fire and the land should be managed to reduce wildfire hazard and ensure the long-term supply of ecosystem services in these fire-prone regions. To do so, a structured online questionnaire was sent to the stakeholders of two transboundary biosphere reserves in Spain-Portugal. Our analysis also questioned to what extent fuel management strategies can be considered nature-based solutions (NbS) using the IUCN standard. Overall, stakeholders state that fire should be managed and support fire prevention in lieu of fire suppression policies. Rural abandonment is perceived as the main cause of large wildfires, with high-intensity fires impacting the study regions more than in the recent past, a trend which they expect to continue in the future in the absence of management. All the suggested fuel management strategies, except chemical treatments, were accepted by the stakeholders who perceive more positive than negative effects of fuel management on forest ecosystem services. Transboundary coordination was rated as inadequate or even nonexistent. We did not find differences among stakeholder sectors and biosphere reserves, indicating that in the study area, there is a general agreement on perceptions about wildfire and associated impacts at the landscape level. Finally, we showed that promoting agricultural and livestock uses, modifying forest species composition to increase fire resistance, and introducing large herbivores have the potential to become effective NbS in the regions. This study represents a first-step analysis representing a base for future co-design and implementation of NbS to improve fuel management, contributing to the understanding of the stakeholder support for their application in addressing the socioeconomic challenges in high fire-risk areas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:45:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-13401dacf1064e53bffd332de9f6ddc3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1708-3087 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:45:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Resilience Alliance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-13401dacf1064e53bffd332de9f6ddc32023-04-03T16:05:43ZengResilience AllianceEcology and Society1708-30872023-03-012813910.5751/ES-13907-28013913907Stakeholder perceptions of wildfire management strategies as nature-based solutions in two Iberian biosphere reservesJudit Lecina-Diaz0João C. Campos1Silvana Pais2Claudia Carvalho-Santos3João C. Azevedo4Paulo Fernandes5João F. Gonçalves6Núria Aquilué7José V. Roces-Díaz8María Agrelo de la Torre9Lluis Brotons10María-Luisa Chas-Amil11Angela Lomba12Andrea Duane13Francisco Moreira14Julia M. Touza15Virgilio Hermoso16Ângelo Sil17Joana R. Vicente18Joao Honrado19Adrián Regos20CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, PortugalCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, PortugalCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, PortugalCentre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) & Institute for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, PortugalCentro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança, PortugalCITAB, Centro de Investigação e de Tecnologias Agro-Ambientais e Biológicas, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, PortugalCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, PortugalCentre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya (CTFC), Solsona, SpainSMartForest Research Group, Department of Biology of Organisms and Systems, Oviedo University, Mieres, SpainTRAGSATEC (Tecnologías y Servicios Agrarios, S.A., S.M.E., M.P)Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya (CTFC), Solsona, SpainDepartment of Quantitative Economics. Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, SpainCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, PortugalDepartment of Agricultural and Forest Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida, SpainCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, PortugalDepartment of Environment and Geography and York Environmental Sustainability Institute, University of York, Heslington, York, UKDepartamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, SpainCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, PortugalCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, PortugalCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, PortugalCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, PortugalIncreased large and high-intensity wildfires cause large socioeconomic and ecological impacts, which demand improved landscape management approaches in which both ecological and societal dimensions are integrated. Engaging society in fire management requires a better understanding of stakeholder perceptions of wildfires and landscape management. We analyze stakeholder perceptions about wildfire-landscape interactions in abandoned rural landscapes of southern Europe, and how fire and the land should be managed to reduce wildfire hazard and ensure the long-term supply of ecosystem services in these fire-prone regions. To do so, a structured online questionnaire was sent to the stakeholders of two transboundary biosphere reserves in Spain-Portugal. Our analysis also questioned to what extent fuel management strategies can be considered nature-based solutions (NbS) using the IUCN standard. Overall, stakeholders state that fire should be managed and support fire prevention in lieu of fire suppression policies. Rural abandonment is perceived as the main cause of large wildfires, with high-intensity fires impacting the study regions more than in the recent past, a trend which they expect to continue in the future in the absence of management. All the suggested fuel management strategies, except chemical treatments, were accepted by the stakeholders who perceive more positive than negative effects of fuel management on forest ecosystem services. Transboundary coordination was rated as inadequate or even nonexistent. We did not find differences among stakeholder sectors and biosphere reserves, indicating that in the study area, there is a general agreement on perceptions about wildfire and associated impacts at the landscape level. Finally, we showed that promoting agricultural and livestock uses, modifying forest species composition to increase fire resistance, and introducing large herbivores have the potential to become effective NbS in the regions. This study represents a first-step analysis representing a base for future co-design and implementation of NbS to improve fuel management, contributing to the understanding of the stakeholder support for their application in addressing the socioeconomic challenges in high fire-risk areas.https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol28/iss1/art39/biosphere reservesecosystem servicesfuel managementlandscape conservationperceptionsportugal-spainquestionnairesocial-ecological systemsstakeholders |
| spellingShingle | Judit Lecina-Diaz João C. Campos Silvana Pais Claudia Carvalho-Santos João C. Azevedo Paulo Fernandes João F. Gonçalves Núria Aquilué José V. Roces-Díaz María Agrelo de la Torre Lluis Brotons María-Luisa Chas-Amil Angela Lomba Andrea Duane Francisco Moreira Julia M. Touza Virgilio Hermoso Ângelo Sil Joana R. Vicente Joao Honrado Adrián Regos Stakeholder perceptions of wildfire management strategies as nature-based solutions in two Iberian biosphere reserves Ecology and Society biosphere reserves ecosystem services fuel management landscape conservation perceptions portugal-spain questionnaire social-ecological systems stakeholders |
| title | Stakeholder perceptions of wildfire management strategies as nature-based solutions in two Iberian biosphere reserves |
| title_full | Stakeholder perceptions of wildfire management strategies as nature-based solutions in two Iberian biosphere reserves |
| title_fullStr | Stakeholder perceptions of wildfire management strategies as nature-based solutions in two Iberian biosphere reserves |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stakeholder perceptions of wildfire management strategies as nature-based solutions in two Iberian biosphere reserves |
| title_short | Stakeholder perceptions of wildfire management strategies as nature-based solutions in two Iberian biosphere reserves |
| title_sort | stakeholder perceptions of wildfire management strategies as nature based solutions in two iberian biosphere reserves |
| topic | biosphere reserves ecosystem services fuel management landscape conservation perceptions portugal-spain questionnaire social-ecological systems stakeholders |
| url | https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol28/iss1/art39/ |
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