Threats and Strategies for Global Biodiversity Conservation

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Box 4. Global Fire Assessment WebGIS: Portal to Scientific AssessmentWe developed a web-based Geographic Information System (webGIS) Global Fire Assessment tool to facilitate datacollection during expert workshops for the Global Fire Assessment. This internet tool, which was designed in partbased on recommendations from experts participating in the first realm-level workshop (Nearctic), was used in theIndo-Malay and Neotropic workshops. By providing a spatially-enabled web interface for data collection, the toolgreatly facilitated the collectionand storage of expert informationinto a master database fromanywhere in the world. The toolcaptures contact informationabout experts using the tool, andthen walks users through a seriesof questions about the role of fire,fire regime conditions, sourcesof fire regime alteration, and thelevel of scientific confidence byecoregion. The tool is availablein English and Spanish, and ispublicly accessible at:http://giifweb.cnr.berkeley.edu/tnc/.E-mail fire@tnc.org formore information.experts were organized into regional teams of scientists,land managers, and decision-makers to review the data,capture expert knowledge, and transfer informationbetween scientists and decision-makers. For the fourbiogeographic realms assessed between January and July2006, the workshop process incorporated new or refineddata from more than 68 scientists, land managers, and policymakers from 13 countries and multi-lateral governmentaland non-governmental organizations.Participants interactively and collaboratively reviewed andrefined spatial data on fire ecology, top threats to maintainingfire’s ecological roles, and key strategies for abatingfire-related threats. Expert input was captured through aninteractive web-based Geographic Information System(webGIS) (see Box 4) and submitted in real time into amaster database housed at the University of California atBerkeley Center for Fire Research and Outreach, U.S.A.Sources of fire-related threats and key strategies for abatingaltered fire regimes followed the IUCN-ConservationMeasures Partnership classification (IUCN-CMP2006). In some cases, regional information, such asspatial fire regime condition class data for the U.S. (e.g.,U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, U.S.Department of the Interior and The Nature ConservancyLANDFIRE project; www.landfire.gov), was compared toglobal data. Participants were also asked about the regionalsignificance of collaborative fora, as described here, fordiscussing and addressing fire regime conditions and trends.The expert global database was analyzed to summarizepatterns in natural fire regime characteristics, current fireregime conditions, and threats to maintaining fire regimesby major habitat type and realm.6
Assessment Results:Healthy Fire Regimes are a Component of Environmental HealthFire-DependentFire-SensitiveFire-IndependentFuture Assessment AreaFigure 2. Global distribution offire regime types.The findings of the Global Fire Assessment indicate thatfire-dependent ecoregions cover 53% of global terrestrialarea; fire-sensitive ecoregions cover 22%; and fire-independentecoregions cover 15% (Figure 2). The distribution ofthese areas varies across biogeographic realms and majorhabitat types (Figure 3). For example, the Nearctic realmis dominated by fire-dependent ecosystems (75% of therealm), while the majority of the Neotropics (63%)are made up of fire-sensitive ecosystems (Figure 4).The assessment has not yet covered about 10% of terrestrialland area (mostly in eastern Europe and parts of Asia).The status of fire regimes—their condition relative toecologically intact conditions—show striking patternsby major habitat type and biogeographic realm. Globally,25% of terrestrial area is intact relative to fire regimeconditions (Figure 5). Ecoregions with degraded fireregimes cover 53% of global terrestrial area while ecoregionswith very degraded fire regimes cover 8%. Assessment ofthe remaining 13% of global terrestrial area continues.Relationships between fire and human-caused fire regimealteration—whether the fire regime is intact, degraded, orFigure 3. Distribution of fire-dependent, fire-sensitive and fire-independent ecoregions by major habitat type.7
Page 2 and 3: Citation:(see inside back cover for
Page 4 and 5: Mopping-up after a prescribed burn
Page 6 and 7: This area in Sepang, Selangor, Mala
Page 8 and 9: There are a variety of ways invasiv
Page 10 and 11: In order to craft effective strateg
Page 14 and 15: very degraded—often repeat themse
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Page 18 and 19: Cattle grazing and browsing in Mall
Page 20 and 21: eptiles. However, fire from these g
Page 22 and 23: Box 5. Needs for Integrated Fire Ma
Page 24 and 25: Notes:1. Ecoregions share similar e
Page 26 and 27: ReferencesOlson, D.M., E. Dinerstei
Page 28: The mission of The Nature Conservan

Threats and Strategies for Global Biodiversity Conservation

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