Open AccessFIRE REGIME IN THE INDIGENOUS LAND INDIGENOUS LAND, MATO GROSSO, BRAZIL
Author(s) -
Lívia Lima Leite Aguiar,
Patrick Thomaz de Aquino Martins
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
mercator
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1984-2201
pISSN - 1676-8329
DOI - 10.4215/rm2020.e19018
Subject(s) - geography , indigenous , land use , typology , vegetation (pathology) , forestry , ethnic group , physical geography , environmental protection , cartography , agroforestry , ecology , archaeology , environmental science , medicine , political science , pathology , law , biology
The Indigenous Land (TI) Pimentel Barbosa, of the Xavante ethnic group, is located in the region with the highest annual burning activity in the world, denoting the need for timely and accurate monitoring of the space-time patterns of fire occurrence. In this sense, the present study aimed to characterize the occurrences of burning in that TI, between the years 1984 to 2018, relating them to the different types of vegetation and land use present in it. Burn scars were identified and mapped, based on images from the Landsat program, and were analyzed for their spatial distribution and recurrence, including the aspect of plant typology and land use. In 34 years, TI burned an area of more than 1,500%, with the record of burning more than half of the area in several years, with no spatial pattern that expresses the practices traditionally used. Savanna vegetable types and agricultural use accounted for more than 90% of the affected area. In all types and use, recurrence classified as medium or high, from 9 to 34 recurrences (i.e., some TI areas were burned every year) predominated. 20 times was the most common recurrence, being at odds with what is recommended in the literature. The change in the territorial structure and the integration with the Brazilian culture pattern are indicated as elementary responsible for the establishment of the identified burning scenario, making some actions necessary, such as, for example, the traditional rescue of fire management, so that the fires can be used as a sustainable tool.