The Pantanal is a biome adapted to fire and recovers in cycles, but human activity is the main cause of fires in the region, representing around 84%. The second biggest cause is natural means, representing 16%, according to the researcher from the Department of Meteorology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Renata Libonati.
According to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), from January until this Friday (26), the Pantanal, in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, registered 613 fires. Throughout the state of Mato Grosso, there are already 3,971 fires, second only to Roraima (4,571). Both States represent more than 51% of the outbreaks registered in Brazil so far.
In this report, you will understand:
- What are the main causes of fire that occur in the Pantanal?
- Fire caused by lightning or by humans: which is more common?
- The biggest fire in the Pantanal: 2020
- How can fire be used to conserve?
What are the main causes of fire that occur in the Pantanal?
⚡Natural causes: They represent the smallest proportion, due to the incidence of lightning in the period of extreme drought.
In conservation areas, the team at the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) aims to prevent inappropriate human actions such as fires made by tourists or livestock farmers.
“We do not allow tourists to set fires. Cattle ranchers and farmers need authorization to use them in a controlled manner to renew the pasture”, informed Cristian Niel Berlinck, biologist and brigade member at ICMBio.
