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Scaling properties in forest fire sequences: The human role in the order of nature

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  • Benavent-Corai, J.
  • Rojo, C.
  • Suárez-Torres, J.
  • Velasco-García, L.

Abstract

Since the 1990s, forest-fire models focused on self-organized criticality behaviour on both spatial and temporal scales. Recent related studies have suggested that the spatial fractality of wildfires is due to the heterogeneous distribution of forest mass (frequency–size distribution fitted to a power-law). However, the differences observed between real data and simulated data, due to the multiplicity of interacting factors, many of them unknown, remain unclear. As the great majority of forest fires are caused by humans, in the present work, we have studied spatial and temporal distributions of forest-fire sequences detected in the eastern part of Spain, depending on the wildfire origin. We showed how humans modify spatial and temporal scale invariant properties, playing a role in the order of nature. This human impact, especially, has important implications: decreasing the inter-event interval and increasing the “sparking frequency” on forest-fire modelling.

Suggested Citation

  • Benavent-Corai, J. & Rojo, C. & Suárez-Torres, J. & Velasco-García, L., 2007. "Scaling properties in forest fire sequences: The human role in the order of nature," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 205(3), pages 336-342.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:205:y:2007:i:3:p:336-342
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.02.028
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Albano, Ezequiel V., 1995. "Spreading analysis and finite-size scaling study of the critical behavior of a forest fire model with immune trees," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 216(3), pages 213-226.
    2. Drossel, B. & Schwabl, F., 1992. "Self-organized criticality in a forest-fire model," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 191(1), pages 47-50.
    3. Amatulli, Giuseppe & Peréz-Cabello, Fernando & de la Riva, Juan, 2007. "Mapping lightning/human-caused wildfires occurrence under ignition point location uncertainty," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 200(3), pages 321-333.
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    1. Ilaria Zambon & Artemi Cerdà & Pavel Cudlin & Pere Serra & Silvia Pili & Luca Salvati, 2019. "Road Network and the Spatial Distribution of Wildfires in the Valencian Community (1993–2015)," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-15, May.
    2. Peng, Dan & Han, Xiao-Pu & Wei, Zong-Wen & Wang, Bing-Hong, 2015. "Punctuated equilibrium dynamics in human communications," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 436(C), pages 36-44.
    3. Telesca, Luciano & Song, Weiguo, 2011. "Time-scaling properties of city fires," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 44(7), pages 558-568.

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