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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]