A wildfires vulnerability model for Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa Rica

 

Salvato in:
Dettagli Bibliografici
Autori: Vargas-Sanabria, Daniela, Campos-Vargas, Carlos
Natura: artículo original
Status:Versión publicada
Data di pubblicazione:2018
Descrizione:Wildfires occur in almost every type of ecosystem. However, vulnerability and propagation capacity of wildfires mostly relies on the amount of biomass and their water content. Particularly, Tropical dry forests are a vulnerable ecosystem to wildfires because, have at least six months with a precipitation of less than ten mm per month. Vulnerability assessment is a critical tool on wildfires management, defining the most vulnerable areas within the conservation area.The objective of this study was the implementation of a wildfire vulnerability model to identify priority areas for control and management of fire at Guanacaste Conservation Area (ACG). This model was designed integrating ecological components such as visual quality and biodiversity; and socio-economic components such as infrastructure and ecosystems services provided by ACG. Our results indicated that the most vulnerable areas at ACG contains a high density of species with pivotal ecological roles on ecosystem services. On the other hand, the less vulnerable areas are close to roads and communities. However, those last frequently experience wildfires. We expect that this model can be adapted in other protected wild areas with similar ecological and socio-economic characteristics to ACG and are often affected by wildfires taking into consideration the particularities present in each site.
Stato:Portal de Revistas UNED
Istituzione:Universidad Estatal a Distancia
Repositorio:Portal de Revistas UNED
Lingua:Español
OAI Identifier:oai:revistas.investiga.uned.ac.cr:article/2173
Accesso online:https://revistas.uned.ac.cr/index.php/cuadernos/article/view/2173
Access Level:acceso abierto
Keyword:vulnerability
wildfires
tropical dry forest
risk
geographic information systems
Guanacaste Conservation Area.
vulnerabilidad
incendios forestales
bosque seco tropical
riesgo
sistemas de información geográfica
Área de Conservación Guanacaste