Review article: Fire emissions in the Brazilian Cerrado – dynamics, estimates, management, and their role in the global carbon budget
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: . Estimating fire emissions in the Brazilian Cerrado requires a comprehensive approach, combining data, fire and vegetation modelling techniques, and policy. Although high quantities of global fire emissions come from the Cerrado, research in this area is still overlooked when compared to other savanna countries. This study systematically reviewed 69 papers on fire emissions from the Cerrado. The aim was to provide insights into the placement of the Cerrado in the atmospheric carbon budget and support improved estimation of the Biome’s carbon balance. Our review finds that, in the Cerrado, studies often focus on quantifying fire dynamics parameters and emissions, and that a holistic approach is required to estimate fire emissions, which is hindered due to the difficulty in valuing the qualitative aspects of fire. Evidence suggests a rise in interest in understanding fire emissions in the Cerrado, reflected in the increased number of studies throughout the years. More research is required to understand the aspects of fire dynamics in the Cerrado, how these reflect fire emissions locally and globally and potential mitigation activities. This could be achieved by including fire management representation in land surface models and using observational data to constrain and assess their utility.
Language: English
Topic: Fire effects on ecosystems
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDGs: Climate action, Life on land
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,553
Awards: G1188192778, Dynamic phenomena in complex networks: basics and applications, G1982465398, G275618169, Transition to sustainability and agriculture-energy-water nexus: exploring an integrated approach with case studies in the Cerrado and Caatinga, G7423561810, Options for Net Zero Plus and Climate Change Adaptation, G899567077
OpenAlex ID: W4414435619