- Title:
-
Savanna Fire Ignition Experiment
- Date:
- September 2008
- Organisations
- BCRC
- Authors:
-
N. Govender, W.S.W. Trollope, C Austin, A Held
Research presentation - Location:
- Australia, Australia
Overview
AFAC/BCRC Conference Paper - September 2008
A recent development in the use of fire in large conservation areas like the Kruger National Park is the hypothesis that the desired biodiversity of the overall ecosystem will be promoted by controlled burns applied as point ignitions instead of perimeter ignitions (block burns). At this stage benefits associated with controlled burns applied as point ignitions are untested hypotheses. An urgent necessity thus exists to determine whether point ignitions do in fact result in a greater patchiness within the fire mosaic (ie different types and intensities of fires) compared to areas burnt as perimeter ignitions and at what scale. Preliminary results from treatments suggest that fire mosaic patterns are most strongly influenced by prevailing weather conditions and fuel characteristics at the time of ignition.
This study attempts to determine the threshold area, weather conditions and fuel required for similar fire patterns and mosaics resulting from point ignition and perimeter ignitions. It is envisioned that such an investigation would promote the improved use of controlled burning in conservation areas, achieving their objective of promoting biodiversity in large national parks and smaller wildlife areas in South Africa thereby benefiting ecotourism and its positive effects on poverty relief.
