Altitudinal variation in fire behavior in Andean ecosystems in southern Ecuador
[EN] BackgroundWildfires constitute an increasingly significant ecological disturbance in Andean ecosystems, particularly in high-elevation shrublands and p & aacute;ramo transition zones. In southern Ecuador, recent increases in fire activity underscore the need to better understand how fir...
| Autores: | , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2026 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) |
| Repositorio: | RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dnet:riunet______::e3c6170df387433083421c24790e814a |
| Acceso en línea: | https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/235067 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Wildfires Fire behavior Elevation gradient Andes Páramo transition zone Andean shrubland Microclimate Integrated fire management |
| Sumario: | [EN] BackgroundWildfires constitute an increasingly significant ecological disturbance in Andean ecosystems, particularly in high-elevation shrublands and p & aacute;ramo transition zones. In southern Ecuador, recent increases in fire activity underscore the need to better understand how fire behavior responds to steep elevation gradients, where fuel characteristics, microclimate, and topography vary over short distances. This study examined fire behavior during controlled burns across three contrasting elevational zones (1549-2757 m a.s.l.) to identify the primary ecological and environmental controls on rate of spread, flame length, flame height, and soil temperature at a depth of 5 cm.ResultsFire behavior varied systematically along the elevation gradient, reflecting shifts in the dominant ecological constraints on combustion. At higher elevations with steep slopes, wind exposure, and terrain-wind interactions favored faster spread and greater flame development. At mid elevations, where slopes are moderate, vegetation moisture limited spread and flame development, indicating that live-fuel water status strongly regulates flammability even under moderate atmospheric forcing. At lower elevations, gently sloping shrublands, higher solar radiation and greater surface dryness were associated with more variable fire behavior, consistent with a fragmented fuel structure and heterogeneous fuel continuity. These patterns indicate that elevation gradient does not simply scale fire intensity but reorganizes the balance among topographic forcing, atmospheric conditions, and fuel properties.ConclusionsFire behavior in Andean landscapes is governed by shifting ecological controls along elevation, rather than by a single dominant driver. Recognizing these zone-specific mechanisms can strengthen Integrated Fire Management by aligning prevention, monitoring, and risk-reduction strategies with the ecological context of each elevational zone.; AntecedentesLos incendios forestales constituyen una perturbaci & oacute;n ecol & oacute;gica cada vez m & aacute;s importante en los ecosistemas andinos, en particular en matorrales de alta monta & ntilde;a y zonas de transici & oacute;n hacia el p & aacute;ramo. En el sur de Ecuador, el reciente aumento de la actividad de incendios subraya la necesidad de comprender c & oacute;mo el comportamiento del fuego responde a fuertes gradientes altitudinales, donde las caracter & iacute;sticas del combustible, el microclima y la topograf & iacute;a cambian en distancias cortas. Este estudio examin & oacute; el comportamiento del fuego durante quemas prescritas en tres zonas altitudinales contrastantes (1549-2757 m s.n.m.) para identificar los principales controles ecol & oacute;gicos y ambientales sobre la velocidad de propagaci & oacute;n, la longitud de llama, la altura de llama y la temperatura del suelo a una profundidad de 5 cm.ResultadosEl comportamiento del fuego vari & oacute; sistem & aacute;ticamente a lo largo del gradiente altitudinal, reflejando cambios en las restricciones ecol & oacute;gicas dominantes sobre la combusti & oacute;n. En las zonas de mayor altitud y pendiente pronunciada, la exposici & oacute;n al viento y las interacciones entre viento-pendiente favorecieron una propagaci & oacute;n m & aacute;s r & aacute;pida y un mayor desarrollo de las llamas. En las altitudes intermedias con pendientes moderadas, la humedad de la vegetaci & oacute;n limit & oacute; la propagaci & oacute;n y el desarrollo de las llamas, lo que indica que el estado h & iacute;drico de los combustibles vivos regula fuertemente la inflamabilidad incluso con un forzamiento atmosf & eacute;rico moderado. A menores elevaciones, con matorrales de suave pendiente, una mayor radiaci & oacute;n solar y una mayor sequedad superficial se asociaron con un comportamiento del fuego m & aacute;s variable, en consonancia con la estructura de combustible fragmentada y una continuidad heterog & eacute;nea. Estos patrones i |
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