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The "Forest Fires Prediction and Detection" edition highlights the importance of research on fires worldwide. In recent years, the increased frequency of fires caused by climate change has rendered the planet uninhabitable. Several works have been prepared and published in an effort to raise awareness among civil society and government bodies about the importance of developing new technologies for monitoring areas prone to mega-fires. This special issue includes nine important works from various countries. The goal is to better understand the impacts on the world's most diverse regions, ecosystems, and forest phytophysiognomies. New geotechnologies and fire models were used, both of which are important and could be used in the future to improve short- and long-term planning in firefighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to verify the link between climate change, changes in land use, and the increasing frequency of forest fires in the state of Acre. Recognizing the importance of an accurate assessment of fire risk, we also proposed a new fire risk index for the capital Rio Branco, using meteorological data. Validated reanalysis data from 1961 to 2020 extracted for Rio Branco and different land uses were used. Data on fire foci, deforestation, and agricultural crops were also obtained. The new model was based on the Fire Risk Atlantic Forest (FIAF) Index, developed for the Atlantic Forest biome, and was subjected to multiple regression analysis. To validate the new model, projections were calculated using different scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The new model, entitled Rio Branco Fire Risk (FIRERBR), revealed an increase in fire risk, especially associated with agriculture, in future scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) from 2023 onward. Rainfall and relative air humidity also showed a reduction in projections, indicating a higher degree of fire danger for the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to contribute to the diagnosis and advance the knowledge of the impacts of land use change and climate change on the tropical longleaf forest biome at the continental scale in South America (Biome 1 according to the WWF classification) for realizing scientific progress in the search for convincing strategies and actions by different actors for the preservation of forests in the continent. The status and climate of the area, which harbors the tropical longleaf forests of South America, were assessed. Moreover, volumetric soil moisture (VSM) was evaluated through maps and simulation using the autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA). Furthermore, future climate scenarios were predicted based on El Niño–Southern Oscillation phenomena, meteorological systems, and scientific evidence, such as the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) and sociopolitical dynamics evident in the region from the case analysis of the Brazilian states of Acre and Rio de Janeiro. An increase was noted in the temperature and range of precipitation variation in the biome. ARIMA analysis indicated changes of up to 0.24 m3 m−3 and an increased range of future VSM values. The December–January–February (DJF) quarter recorded the highest VSM median with the measurement scale of 0.05 to 0.44 m3 m−3, while the June–July–August (JJA) quarter recorded the lowest value. The regions of the biome with the lowest VSM values included southern Amazon (Ecuador, Peru, and the Brazilian states of Acre, Mato Grosso, Pará, and Maranhão), Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Southeast Region, and the Brazilian state of Bahia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several environmental impacts are resulting from the process of anthropization and climate variability that have caused degradation of biomes and humid environments. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the anthropic process and the variation of climatic conditions on the dynamics of the marsh vegetation in the Pandeiros River preservation area in the north of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) of product MOD13Q1 and the gross primary productivity (GPP) of product MOD17A2 of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were used for the period from 2001 to 2017 were used in this process. Rain and air temperature data were obtained from the Conventional Weather Station of Januária-MG. The time series were submitted to the nonparametric statistical test of Mann-Kendall. The process of anthropization of the swamp area in the environmental protection area of the Pandeiros River/MG (EPA) showed a pattern of expansion of vegetation cover associated with the reduction of the water table, a phenomenon resulting from the silting process and reduction of the incidence of rain in this region, which contributes to the reduction of ecosystem services. Thus, understanding the influence of climatic variables on the dynamics of vegetation in humid environments, such as the EPA swamp area on the Pandeiros River, is essential for the preservation and recovery of these ecosystems and for the implementation of public policies for preservation and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South America, a complex geographical area formed by physical, biological, and climatic diversity and distributed over several biomes, is home to the greatest biodiversity on the planet. Climate change is a threat at the continental scale, putting future generations at risk. Studying the biomes of South America is a valid approach to reducing the economic, social and cultural impacts of each region. This study used 18 years of numerous meteorological, biophysical and fire variables, aiming to understand the vegetation dynamics of the World Wide Fund for Nature biomes in the past, present and future (2021-2040) as a potential tool for land and resource management natures of South America. Our results indicate an increase in air temperature mainly in tropical regions, which will accelerate the physical processes of evaporation and transpiration in vegetation, in addition to increasing the probability of mega-fires during the dry season in these regions. Among the ten biomes in South America, savannas, tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests showed the greatest decrease in vegetation, as simulated by future modeling. Our results simulated by ARIMA modeling and data simulated by the CanESM5 climate model warn of the loss of biodiversity in South America. If public policies are not implemented in the short term, the loss of vegetation and human lives will be inevitable in these regions. [Display omitted] • Biome A show trends in vegetation reduction and risk to population. • The results alert not only the loss of vegetation, but of human lives. • Climate change will increase South America's social and economic problems. • The modeling used can serve local governments to reduce future impacts. • More efficient public policies must be urgently implemented in the main biomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian Legal Amazon is an extensive territory (5,088,668.25 km2) in which different factors (environmental and social) influence the fire dynamics of the region. This study aims to explain the seasonal patterns of meteorological variables, fire, land use, and carbon emissions and their inter-relationships, focusing on years of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) occurrence. For this purpose, we used data from fire foci and burned area obtained by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer sensor and meteorological variables from Reanalysis 2. The kernel density was applied to the fire foci, and Spearman correlation coefficient between the foci and the other variables (fire foci, burned area, carbon emissions, evapotranspiration, wind speed, relative air humidity, rainfall, soil moisture, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, and mean air temperature) and Mann Kendall test for soybean, corn and sugarcane crops were performed. The years considered as La Niña were those with the highest fire foci, burned area, and carbon emissions. Our results show that even in periods considered as low fire risk, forests may be vulnerable to fires due to interaction with other variables. Furthermore, we found a tendency to increase the area planted with soybean, maize, and sugarcane, which may lead to more deforested areas in the region if there is no support from public policies. The uncertainty of the Legal Amazon's behavior towards climate change, combined with possible setbacks in Brazilian environmental policy due to the current government, highlights the importance of studies that encompass several factors such as this one. Flowchart of the stages developed, where: 1. ENSO phenomenon (Time series), 2. Remote Sensing and Weather data, 3. Land use and cover, 4. Carbon emission, 5. Fire foci and synoptic events, 6. Statistical analysis. [Display omitted] • The La Niña years were the ones that presented the greatest number of fire foci, burned area, and carbon emissions. • This understanding can make fire planning and control more effective by governmental and non-governmental agencies. • Even in periods considered to be of low fire risk, forests can be vulnerable to fires for other reasons. • Uncertainties regarding the behavior of the Amazon in the face of global warming increases the need for studies. • Public policies in the short term in the Amazon must be adopted to control deforestation and forest fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate fire dynamics in 'extreme' climatic events of the El Niño Southern Oscillation in the western Amazon in Acre, Brazil. It employed remote sensing products of burned areas, the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), rainfall products, and kernel density to spatialise fire foci. The largest burned area recorded during the study was during the La Niña period, with a total of 296 km2 burned. The highest concentration of fire foci was found in the lowland open ombrophilous forest in areas with palm trees, where 28% of the fires occurred. Rainfall was concentrated on the cover of the submontane dense ombrophilous forests with emergent canopies with a maximum value of 2515.9 mm in the La Niña event. The highest and lowest EVI values occurred in the neutral episode with values ranging from 0.57 to 0.36. The correlation between burned and fire foci areas was greatest during the El Nino period (0.92). On the other hand, the maximum negative value was found between the rainfall and fires in the neutral episode (−0.80). Fire outbreaks and EVI presented a significant positive growth trend in the neutral episode. The largest fires were recorded during the neutral period, and this study highlights the vulnerability of the western Amazon to fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Northeastern region of Brazil has long history of drought with impacts on water supply for cities and agriculture. However, the last drought that occurred in the region had unprecedented magnitude and periodicity, making it the longest multiannual drought in Northeastern Brazil. Thus, understanding and characterizing the behavior of this phenomenon is necessary, considering that another episodes may occur. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize the drought trend in the Northeastern region of Brazil, with the application of the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). The application of PDSI was carried out with the monthly calculation of the water balance coefficients referring to the soil water balance between the years 2000 and 2019, depending on the relative soil moisture values. The results obtained were submitted to the Mann-Kendall test to identify monthly trends in the index. The annual drought variability in Northeastern Brazil showed moderate to extreme intensity, with the worst drought being observed between the years 2012 and 2019. The monthly drought average shows the Mid-Northern and "Sertão" regions as the most critical, with monthly trend of significant drought severity. The positive trend was observed in the Eastern, Southern and Western coast regions of NEB. [Display omitted] • We evaluated the largest drought in the Northeast of Brazil. • Intensification of the drought in its frequency and magnitude has been proven. • A significant trend was identified for the intensification of drought. • El Niño events and change climate contribute to intensify record drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]