Threats and Strategies for Global Biodiversity Conservation

Box 5. (continued)Responding appropriatelyand effectively.Mexico’s fire management capacityis about 10,000 people, includingabout 1,000 from the federal government.Mexico’s federal governmenttrains fire staff in fire-fighting, butfew courses incorporate ecologicalconsiderations. However, this isbeginning to change. The strengthsof Mexico’s fire managementprograms include experience, goodcoordination among organizations,training (e.g., fire-fighting, prescribedburning), and internationalcooperation (mostly with the U.S.).However, fire management resourcesacross the country are generallyinadequate to meet the need forcommunity protection and biodiversity.Among the weaknessesare scarce human resources andequipment for attending emergencies,lack of meteorological information,and continuing poverty in forestedareas. Several needs are identifiedin order to enhance the effectivenessof Mexico’s fire management program,including more research infire protection and prevention, fireecology, fire effects, forest fuelmodels, alternative agriculturalpractices, prescribed burning,social issues, fire danger andIntegrated Fire Management.Recommendations include increasingcoordination with other organizationsand peasants to conductecologically-appropriate agriculturalburning, greater participation ofstates and municipal governments,increased emphasis on professionalprofiles over labor union decisions inhiring of firefighters, and increasedmaterial resources. The prevention,mitigation, pre-suppression andsuppression capabilities of Mexico’sfire management work forcewill benefit from a gradual changetoward an Integrated FireManagement approach.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that only 25% of the terrestrialworld assessed exhibit intact fire regimes, yet the role offire can be vital in maintaining essential biodiversity.Urban development, resource extraction (including energyproduction, mining and logging), fire and fire suppression,agriculture and climate change are all contributing to thealteration of fire regimes. Integrated FireManagement—a proven framework for assessing and balancing issuesposed by both damaging and beneficial fires within theecological, social and economic contexts in which firesoccur—can help prevent further degradation of fireregimes and restore areas where fire’s natural role hasbeen altered.We must also keep in mind that thecauses and solutions of fire-relatedproblems are almost always inextricablylinked to other critical concerns ofour day, including climate change,invasive species and forest andrangeland management practices.But what can we do to help bring about this shift towardIntegrated Fire Management? How do we compel people,governments and organizations to recognize and take actionto address the myriad ecological, social and economic issuesBeneficial effects of a prescribed burn at Ajusco Volcano conductedfive months earlier. © Dante Arturo Rodriguez-Trejothat have significantly altered fire regimes across most of theglobe? Clearly this will require broader and more effectivecommunication and outreach on the part of groups such asthe Global Fire Partnership. Effective collaborations thatare able to tease apart ecosystem and human relationshipsto fire in a given place are also needed. We must also keepin mind that the causes and solutions of fire-relatedproblems are almost always inextricably linked to othercritical concerns of our day, including climate change,invasive species and forest and rangeland managementpractices. Ultimately, these efforts will require sustainedfunding via multilateral donor organizations, ecosystemservices schemes and convincing country governments toboost budgets allocated to addressing fire-related issues.17