Fire-Induced Floristic and Structural Degradation Across a Vegetation Gradient in the Southern Amazon
Climate change and landscape fragmentation have made fires the primary drivers of forest degradation in Southern Amazonia. Understanding their impacts is crucial for informing public conservation policies. In this study, we assessed the effects of repeated fires on trees with a diameter ≥10 cm across three distinct vegetation types in this threatened region: Amazonian successional forest (SF), transitional forest (TF), and ombrophilous forest (OF). Two anthropogenic fires affected all three vegetation types in consecutive years. We hypothesized that SF would be the least impacted due to its more open structure and the presence of fire-adapted savanna (Cerrado) species. As expected, SF experienced the lowest tree mortality rate (9.1%). However, both TF and OF were heavily affected, with mortality rates of 28.0% and 29.7%, respectively. Despite SF’s apparent fire resilience, all vegetation types experienced a significant net loss of species and individuals. These results indicate a fire-induced degradation stage in both TF and OF, characterized by reduced species diversity and structural integrity. Our findings suggest that recurrent fires may trigger irreversible vegetation shifts and broader ecosystem tipping points across the Amazonian frontier.
Authors
- Dennis Rodrigues da Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3479-0106)
- Eraldo Aparecido Trondoli Matricardi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5323-6100)
- Marcos Leandro Garcia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9174-4803)
- Ted R. Feldpausch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6631-7962)
- Gabriel Henrique Pires de Mello Ribeiro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3343-3043)
- Leandro Rocha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0484-1918)
- Imma Oliveras Menor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5345-2236)
- Oliver Lawrence Phillips (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8993-6168)
- Jesulino Alves da Rocha Filho
- Marlon Zortéa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0827-7704)
- David Galbraith (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5555-4823)
- Samiele Camargo de Oliveira Domingues (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7772-8310)
- Amauri de Castro Barradas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4546-4592)
- Edmar Almeida de Oliveira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6446-3376)
- Marco Antônio Camillo de Carvalho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4966-1013)
- Carmino Emidio Júnior (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6500-0509)
- Ben Hur Marimon-Junior (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6359-6281)
- Edmar Santos Moreira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6493-3975)
- Fernando Elias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9190-1733)
- Beatriz Schwantes Marimon
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- University of Leeds (GB)
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (FR)
- Universidade de Brasília (BR)
- University of Exeter (GB)
- Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (BR)
- Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (BR)
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (BR)
- UMR Botanique et Modélisation de l’Architecture des Plantes et des végétations (FR)
- Instituto Florestal (BR)
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Forests
- Published
- 2025-07-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/f16081218
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.11
Funders
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Mato Grosso