Journal article
What do you mean, ‘megafire’?
Global ecology and biogeography, Vol.31(10), pp.1906-1922
10/2022
DOI: 10.1111/geb.13499
Abstract
Background: 'Megafire' is an emerging concept commonly used to describe fires that are extreme in terms of size, behaviour, and/or impacts, but the term's meaning remains ambiguous.Approach: We sought to resolve ambiguity surrounding the meaning of 'megafire' by conducting a structured review of the use and definition of the term in several languages in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. We collated definitions and descriptions of megafire and identified criteria frequently invoked to define megafire. We recorded the size and location of megafires and mapped them to reveal global variation in the size of fires described as megafires.Results: We identified 109 studies that define the term 'megafire' or identify a megafire, with the term first appearing in the peer-reviewed literature in 2005. Seventy-one (similar to 65%) of these studies attempted to describe or define the term. There was considerable variability in the criteria used to define megafire, although definitions of megafire based on fire size were most common. Megafire size thresholds varied geographically from > 100-100,000 ha, with fires > 10,000 ha the most common size threshold (41%, 18/44 studies). Definitions of megafire were most common from studies led by authors from North America (52%, 37/ 71). We recorded 137 instances from 84 studies where fires were reported as megafires, the vast majority (94%, 129/137) of which exceed 10,000 ha in size. Megafires occurred in a range of biomes, but were most frequently described in forested biomes (112/137, 82%), and usually described single ignition fires (59% 81/137).Conclusion: As Earth's climate and ecosystems change, it is important that scientists can communicate trends in the occurrence of larger and more extreme fires with clarity. To overcome ambiguity, we suggest a definition of megafire as fires > 10,000 ha arising from single or multiple related ignition events. We introduce two additional terms -gigafire (> 100,000 ha) and terafire (> 1,000,000 ha) -for fires of an even larger scale than megafires.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- What do you mean, ‘megafire’?
- Creators
- Grant Linley - Charles Sturt UniversityChris Jolly - Charles Sturt UniversityTim Doherty - The University of SydneyWilliam Geary - Deakin UniversityDolors Armenteras - Universidad Nacional de ColombiaClaire Belcher - University of ExeterRebecca Bliege Bird - Pennsylvania State UniversityAndrea Duane - Forest Science and Technology Centre of CataloniaMichael‐shawn Fletcher - Australian National UniversityMelisa Giorgis - Universidad Nacional de CórdobaAngie Haslem - La Trobe UniversityGavin Jones - University of New MexicoLuke Kelly - The University of MelbourneCalvin Lee - City University of Hong KongRachael Nolan - Western Sydney UniversityCatherine Parr - University of LiverpoolJuli Pausas - Centre d'Investigacions sobre DesertificacióJodi Price - Charles Sturt UniversityAdrián Regos - Universidade de Santiago de CompostelaEuan Ritchie - Deakin UniversityJulien Ruffault - Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'EnvironnementGrant Williamson - University of TasmaniaQianhan Wu - University of Hong KongDale Nimmo - Charles Sturt UniversityLa Trobe University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Global ecology and biogeography, Vol.31(10), pp.1906-1922
- DOI
- 10.1111/geb.13499
- ISSN
- 1466-822X
- eISSN
- 1466-822X
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Number of pages
- 17
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/2022
- Academic Unit
- School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability
- Record Identifier
- 9985219859002771
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