Variação temporal na ocorrência de incêndios no Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina e suas zonas de amortecimento

Abstract

The occurrence of high-frequency fires can be highly damaging to ecosystems, even those that require fire for their maintenance. This high frequency can alter the landscape, making it more open, and change the phytophysiognomies, leading to greater dominance of grasses. The Chapada Diamantina National Park (PNCD) is among the Federal Conservation Units with the highest number of fire outbreaks in Brazil. This research proposes a temporal analysis of fire outbreaks within the PNCD and its buffer zones, the municipalities that are part of the park, over the last 26 years. The information regarding fire outbreaks, used for this analysis, was extracted from the INPE database. It was thus possible to verify that the years with the most fire outbreaks were 2008, 2012, 2015, and 2021, with 2008 and 2015 standing out as the only years with more outbreaks within the PNCD than in its surrounding buffer zones. The highest numbers of outbreaks are concentrated in the municipalities of Mucugê, Andaraí, and Lençóis, with the most fire outbreaks occurring in the months of September, October, and November, both within and outside the PNCD. Over the past 26 years, a total of 28,835 fire outbreaks were quantified in the entire PNCD and the municipalities that are part of its buffer zone. Of this total, 7,513 outbreaks were within the PNCD, and 21,322 outbreaks were outside the park, in the buffer zones. During the period of temporal analysis, phenomena like El Niño occurred, but there was no statistically significant relationship between the intensity of the El Niño phenomenon and the number of fire outbreaks. The average density of outbreaks was higher within the PNCD, with a statistically significant mean difference. However, the median density of outbreaks was higher outside the park, indicating that while the total number of outbreaks may be higher outside the park, the intensity within the park is significant. The areas around the PNCD play a crucial role in protecting the park, with most fire outbreaks occurring in these zones, making it essential to include these areas in the park's management plan.