Prioritizing fire management goals in a biodiversity hotspot

Understanding the priorities and motivations of key actors is essential to setting fire management goals toward sustainability and resilience in a changing world. To investigate how key actors in fire management, rural residents and environmental specialists, prioritize fire management goals and ass...

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Main Authors: Heitor C. Sousa, Guarino R. Colli, Adriana Malvasio
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-04-01
Series:Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2530064425000148
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author Heitor C. Sousa
Guarino R. Colli
Adriana Malvasio
author_facet Heitor C. Sousa
Guarino R. Colli
Adriana Malvasio
author_sort Heitor C. Sousa
collection DOAJ
description Understanding the priorities and motivations of key actors is essential to setting fire management goals toward sustainability and resilience in a changing world. To investigate how key actors in fire management, rural residents and environmental specialists, prioritize fire management goals and assess their attitudes regarding fire use, fire regime effects, and Integrated Fire Management (IFM) in the Brazilian Cerrado savannas, we used an Analytic Hierarchy Process framework and Bayesian multilevel models. We identified minor differences in prioritizing fire management goals between rural interviewees and environmental specialists. Both groups independently regarded (1) pest control and farming as the lowest priorities and (2) protecting water resources and biodiversity conservation as the most important compared to other fire management goals. Despite the similarities, participants with higher education prioritized conserving biodiversity and its traditional use while emphasizing the importance of controlled fire use. Most specialists approved the use of IFM in protected areas (91.84%) and private areas (79.59%). Specialists also suggested improvements to IFM regarding mobilization and education, laws and regulations, surveillance, fund-raising, and scientific research. Our findings show that we should expect minor tradeoffs between key actors and their fire management goals, revealing a fruitful path for implementing a large-scale IFM in Cerrado that is aligned with the needs of local communities and avoiding conflicts.
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spelling doaj-art-24ead3e0072f41d2b6d8d0a297cf851b2025-08-20T02:05:19ZengElsevierPerspectives in Ecology and Conservation2530-06442025-04-01232859210.1016/j.pecon.2025.03.005Prioritizing fire management goals in a biodiversity hotspotHeitor C. Sousa0Guarino R. Colli1Adriana Malvasio2Universidade Federal do Tocantins – UFT, Quadra 109 Norte Av. NS-15, ALCNO-14, Plano Diretor Norte, CEP: 77001-090, Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil; Corresponding author.Universidade de Brasília – UnB, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Avenida L4 Norte, Asa Norte, CEP: 70910-900, Brasília, Distrito Federal, BrazilUniversidade Federal do Tocantins – UFT, Quadra 109 Norte Av. NS-15, ALCNO-14, Plano Diretor Norte, CEP: 77001-090, Palmas, Tocantins, BrazilUnderstanding the priorities and motivations of key actors is essential to setting fire management goals toward sustainability and resilience in a changing world. To investigate how key actors in fire management, rural residents and environmental specialists, prioritize fire management goals and assess their attitudes regarding fire use, fire regime effects, and Integrated Fire Management (IFM) in the Brazilian Cerrado savannas, we used an Analytic Hierarchy Process framework and Bayesian multilevel models. We identified minor differences in prioritizing fire management goals between rural interviewees and environmental specialists. Both groups independently regarded (1) pest control and farming as the lowest priorities and (2) protecting water resources and biodiversity conservation as the most important compared to other fire management goals. Despite the similarities, participants with higher education prioritized conserving biodiversity and its traditional use while emphasizing the importance of controlled fire use. Most specialists approved the use of IFM in protected areas (91.84%) and private areas (79.59%). Specialists also suggested improvements to IFM regarding mobilization and education, laws and regulations, surveillance, fund-raising, and scientific research. Our findings show that we should expect minor tradeoffs between key actors and their fire management goals, revealing a fruitful path for implementing a large-scale IFM in Cerrado that is aligned with the needs of local communities and avoiding conflicts.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2530064425000148Brazilian Cerrado savannasEnvironmental perceptionIntegrated fire management (IFM)Human dimensionsSocial attitudesSustainable fire regimes
spellingShingle Heitor C. Sousa
Guarino R. Colli
Adriana Malvasio
Prioritizing fire management goals in a biodiversity hotspot
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation
Brazilian Cerrado savannas
Environmental perception
Integrated fire management (IFM)
Human dimensions
Social attitudes
Sustainable fire regimes
title Prioritizing fire management goals in a biodiversity hotspot
title_full Prioritizing fire management goals in a biodiversity hotspot
title_fullStr Prioritizing fire management goals in a biodiversity hotspot
title_full_unstemmed Prioritizing fire management goals in a biodiversity hotspot
title_short Prioritizing fire management goals in a biodiversity hotspot
title_sort prioritizing fire management goals in a biodiversity hotspot
topic Brazilian Cerrado savannas
Environmental perception
Integrated fire management (IFM)
Human dimensions
Social attitudes
Sustainable fire regimes
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2530064425000148
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