Incorporating fire-smartness into agricultural policies reduces suppression costs and ecosystem services damages from wildfires

Lecina-Diaz, Judit; Chas-Amil, María-Luisa; Aquilué, Núria; Sil, Ângelo Filipe; Brotons, Lluís; Regos, Adrián; Touza, Julia M.

Publication

Incorporating fire-smartness into agricultural policies reduces suppression costs and ecosystem services damages from wildfires

2023Journal article

dc.contributor.author	Lecina-Diaz, Judit
dc.contributor.author	Chas-Amil, María-Luisa
dc.contributor.author	Aquilué, Núria
dc.contributor.author	Sil, Ângelo Filipe
dc.contributor.author	Brotons, Lluís
dc.contributor.author	Regos, Adrián
dc.contributor.author	Touza, Julia M.
dc.date.accessioned	2018-04-16T08:55:20Z
dc.date.available	2018-04-16T08:55:20Z
dc.date.issued	2023
dc.description.abstract	In southern Europe, land abandonment and an unbalanced investment toward fire suppression instead of pre-vention has gradually increased wildfire risk, which calls for a paradigm change in fire management policies. Here we combined scenario analysis, fire landscape modelling, and economic tools to identify which land-use policies would reduce the expected wildfire-related losses in the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve 'Geres-Xure ' s' (Spain-Portugal). To do so, we applied the least-cost-plus-net-value-change approach and estimated net changes in wildfire damages based on their implications for the 2010-2050 period and five ecosystem services: agriculture, pasture, timber, recreation and climate regulation. Four land-use scenarios were considered: (1) Business as Usual (BAU); (2) fire-smart, fostering more fire-resistant (less flammable) and/or fire-resilient landscapes (fire-smart); (3) High Nature Value farmlands (HNVf), wherein the abandonment of extensive agri-culture is reversed; and (4) a combination of HNVf and fire-smart. HNVf is the best scenario for suppression cost savings, but it generates the lowest net present value of societal benefits from climate regulation. In fact, the most efficient scenario with the lowest societal discounted net suppression costs and change on ecosystem services damages is the HNVf + fire-smart scenario, as it also generates suppression cost savings from agricultural expansion, and lead to a significant reduction in damages on timber and recreational benefits. Therefore, reverting land abandonment through recultivation and promoting fire-resistant tree species is the most efficient way to reduce wildfire hazard. In this sense, payments for ecosystem services should reward farmers and landowners for their role in wildfire prevention. This study improves the understanding of the financial and societal benefits derived from reducing fire suppression spending and ecosystem services damage by undertaking fire-smart land-use strategies, which can be essential to enhance local stakeholders' support for Payments of Ecosystem Services policies for wildfire prevention.	pt_PT
dc.description.version	info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion	pt_PT
dc.identifier.citation	Lecina-Diaz, Judit; Chas-Amil, María-Luisa; Aquilué, Núria; Sil, Ângelo Filipe; Brotons, Lluís; Regos, Adrián; Touza, Julia (2023). Incorporating fire-smartness into agricultural policies reduces suppression costs and ecosystem services damages from wildfires. Journal of Environmental Management. eISSN 1095-8630. 337, p. 1-12	pt_PT
dc.identifier.doi	10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117707
dc.identifier.eissn	1095-8630
dc.identifier.issn	0301-4797
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10198/17037
dc.language.iso	eng	pt_PT
dc.peerreviewed	yes	pt_PT
dc.publisher	Elsevier	pt_PT
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/	pt_PT
dc.subject	Ecosystem service trade-offs	pt_PT
dc.subject	Economics of fire	pt_PT
dc.subject	Fire-smart	pt_PT
dc.subject	High nature value farmlands	pt_PT
dc.subject	Land-use modelling
dc.subject	Net value change
dc.title	Incorporating fire-smartness into agricultural policies reduces suppression costs and ecosystem services damages from wildfires	pt_PT
dc.type	journal article
dspace.entity.type	Publication
oaire.citation.title	Journal of Environmental Management	pt_PT
rcaap.rights	openAccess	pt_PT
rcaap.type	article	pt_PT