Quantification of burnt areas as a fundamental parameter for the estimation of spatial and temporal patterns of fire incidence in Canaima National Park (Venezuela)

A significant increase of 64% in fire incidence was observed between the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 periods within Canaima National Park (CNP), Venezuela, with total burnt areas reaching 64,200 ha and 106,000 ha respectively. This surge coincided with one of the most severe El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) episodes, 'Godzilla,' during which extreme drought conditions led to 45,000 ha burning in January 2016 alone—accounting for 43% of the year's total fire damage. While grassy savannas were predominantly affected, forests also experienced heightened vulnerability under these extreme atmospheric conditions. The study, utilizing Landsat-8/OLI satellite data and QGIS analysis, provided the first high-confidence quantification of fire activity in CNP, offering critical insights for identifying vulnerable zones and developing targeted fire management strategies.

Rivera-Lombardi, R., Bilbao, B., Mistry, J., Berardi, A., & Torres, J. (2020). Quantification of burnt areas as a fundamental parameter for the estimation of spatial and temporal patterns of fire incidence in Canaima National Park (Venezuela). Biodiversidade Brasileira, 10(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.37002/biobrasil.v10i1.1566