1. Fire-prone Landscapes in the West African savanna. Present-day dynamics and historical roots
- Author
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Ballouche, Aziz, BALLOUCHE, Aziz, Littoral, Environnement, Télédétection, Géomatique UMR 6554 (LETG), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-Université d'Angers (UA)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Géographie et d'Aménagement Régional de l'Université de Nantes (IGARUN), and Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN)
- Subjects
Holocene ,[SHS.GEO] Humanities and Social Sciences/Geography ,Savanna ,West Africa ,Landscape ,[SHS.GEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Geography ,[SDE.ES] Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society ,Fire ,[SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society - Abstract
International audience; The Sudanian savanna in West Africa is clearly one of the most representative examples of a landscape that has been fully transformed by human intervention, specifically by fire. In the savanna landscapes, bush fires are an omnipresent, recurrent and determinant phenomenon. Often considered as a major risk and an environmental constraint for the vegetation, burning is also a socio-cultural practice. More than a degradation factor, fires are a part of modes of managing the environment by agro-pastoral societies. The fire-prone landscapes we observe today are also inherited as the result of long-term interaction between human societies and their environment. A historical perspective on the role of fire in their construction is thus essential for gaining an insight into current dynamics.
- Published
- 2019