1.2 Detalles de contacto de las personas de referencia e instituciones involucradas en la evaluación y la documentación de la Tecnología

Nombre del proyecto que financió la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

DESIRE (EU-DES!RE)

Nombre de la(s) institución(es) que facilitaron la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

Centro de Estudos de Rescursos Naturais, Ambiente e Sociedade (CERNAS) - Portugal

1.3 Condiciones referidas al uso de datos documentados mediante WOCAT

¿Cuándo se compilaron los datos (en el campo)?

09/12/2011

El compilador y la/s persona(s) de referencia claves aceptan las condiciones acerca del uso de los datos documentados mediante WOCAT:

Sí

1.5 Referencia al (los) Cuestionario(s) de Enfoques MST

2.1 Breve descripción de la Tecnología

Definición de la Tecnología:

Use of prescribed fire (or ‘controlled burn’) to reduce the fuel load in the form of live and dead plant material and thus to prevent the likelihood of more damaging wildfire.

2.2 Descripción detallada de la Tecnología

Descripción:

This technique is an essential management tool that applies fire to control the quantity of forest or scrubland fuels. The type of fire depends on the specific goals and on the weather conditions. Firstly, it is important to consider slope angle and the kind of fuels to be burned. Weather conditions include temperature, wind direction and air humidity. Another important aspect is the ability to control the speed of flame spread. In order to carry out the controlled fire, a plan has to be drawn up and approved and a fully-trained, authorised technician must be present in addition to the appropriate support teams (fire fighters, forest management teams). These teams use water or other means of combating the fire in the event of it possibly getting out of control and are in charge of the burning process.

Purpose of the Technology: The main purposes are enhancement of grazing areas and the creation of the so-called primary network for wildfire defence, which is a national network to limit the spread of wildfire. It involves strategically burning key sites (e.g. mountain ridges) to restrict the spread of the wildfire.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: An analysis of weather conditions is made prior to carry out the prescribed fire. On the day of the prescribed fire itself, safety checks are made and the specific tasks of all the team members are defined. Wind direction and strength need to be minimal and are strictly controlled during burning. The size of the team depends on the specific problems of the area to be treated. Team size needed for about 10 ha is around 10 persons. The team members start along a line working from the top on the mountain along the contour and move downwards. Gentle breeze should be against the direction of the spreading of the fire. Workers use a drip-feed fuel can. There is also a strategy for prescribed fires by burning a strip along ridges of the mountains to avoid spreading of accidental wildfires and to burn in catchments the lowest point from which fire can spread to different areas and spread in different directions on the slopes.

Natural / human environment: Improved grazing management might also reduce the fuel load. Abandoning grazing in the forest can increase the fuel load and aggravate the occurrence and impact of wildfires. The creation or maintenance of grazing areas is determined by the size of the herd. Prescribed fire used as a means of improving grazing enables the local population needs to be addressed while considering environmental concerns. The prescribed fire also helps to protect the local population and their property by reducing the likelihood of devastating wildfire.

2.3 Fotografías de la Tecnología

2.5 País/ región/ lugares donde la Tecnología fue aplicada y que se hallan comprendidos por esta evaluación

2.6 Fecha de la implementación

Si no se conoce el año preciso, indique la fecha aproximada:

• hace más de 50 años atrás (tradicional)

2.7 Introducción de la Tecnología

Especifique cómo se introdujo la Tecnología:

• como parte de un sistema tradicional (> 50 años)

3.2 Tipo(s) actuales de uso de la tierra donde se aplica la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): The problem is linked to the loss of traditional natural pasture use. Since there is nowadays no grazing/pasture use of forests, the fuel load remains uncontrolled. It is also linked to minimising wildfire impacts and the creation of grazing land. As more people visit forest areas for leisure and accidentally set fire. Another problem is vandalism and arson.
Semi-nomadism / pastoralism: Yes
Other type of forest: Shrublands/pasture
Forest products and services: timber, grazing / browsing

3.3 Información adicional sobre el uso de tierras

Provisión de agua para la tierra donde se aplica la Tecnología:

• de secano

Densidad del ganado (si fuese relevante):

< 1 LU/km2

3.4 Grupo MST al que pertenece la Tecnología

• manejo de bosques naturales y seminaturales:

• Prescribed fire

3.5 Difusión de la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Total area covered by the SLM Technology is 0.57 m2.

3.6 Medidas MST que componen la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Main measures: management measures

3.7 Principales tipos de degradación del suelo encarados con la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Main type of degradation addressed: Bf: detrimental effects of fires

Main causes of degradation: deforestation / removal of natural vegetation (incl. forest fires), other natural causes (avalanches, volcanic eruptions, mud flows, highly susceptible natural resources, extreme topography, etc.) specify (Wildfire), population pressure (An decline of population during the last decades resulting in less grazing contributes to increased wildfire risk.)

3.8 Prevención, reducción o restauración de la degradación del suelo

Especifique la meta de la Tecnología con relación a la degradación de la tierra:

• reducir la degradación del suelo

Comentarios:

Main goals: mitigation / reduction of land degradation

4.1 Dibujo técnico de la Tecnología

4.2 Especificaciones técnicas/ explicaciones del dibujo técnico

Prescribed fire is a practice used to manage vegetation in wildfire-prone areas. It consists of slowly burning strategic areas in the wet season, under specific weather and ground conditions and procedures: the soil should be moist, burning typically carried out in thin strips (normally 10m distance between two fire lines) from the top to the bottom of the slope, there should be only a gentle breeze blowing upslope and the ignition points should be 2m apart along the contour. The fire is allowed to progress downslope against the wind, which therefore provides some control. Burning is achieved by a number of the team who are prepared to dowse the flames if the fire gets out of hand. This degree of control is only possible when burning small areas with the same slope angle.

Location: Castanheira de Pêra. Leiria, Portugal

Date: January, 2009

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: high (Specific training)

Technical knowledge required for land users: low

Technical knowledge required for Fire men: moderate

Main technical functions: control of fires, reduction of dry material (fuel for wildfires), spatial arrangement and diversification of land use

Secondary technical functions: control of dispersed runoff: impede / retard, increase of infiltration

Layout change according to natural and human environment

4.3 Información general sobre el cálculo de insumos y costos

otra / moneda nacional (especifique):

EURO

Indique la tasa de cambio de USD a la moneda local (si fuese relevante): 1 USD =:

136,94

4.4 Actividades de establecimiento

	Actividad	Tipo de medida	Momento
1.	Planning and implementation	Manejo	1 morning (5h)
2.	Fire control equipment	Manejo
3.	Monitoring prescribed fire	Manejo	1 morning (5h)

4.5 Costos e insumos necesarios para el establecimiento

	Especifique insumo	Unidad	Cantidad	Costos por unidad	Costos totales por insumo	% de los costos cubiertos por los usuarios de las tierras
Mano de obra	Labour	ha	1,0	25,0	25,0
Equipo	Machine use	ha	1,0	25,0	25,0
Costos totales para establecer la Tecnología					50,0

4.6 Actividades de establecimiento/ recurrentes

	Actividad	Tipo de medida	Momento/ frequencia
1.	No maintenance is necessary. Every 3 to 5 years, prescribed fire is carried out again, repeating the process described abovet.	Manejo	On 3-4 or 4-5 years

4.7 Costos e insumos necesarios para actividades de mantenimiento/ recurrentes (por año)

Comentarios:

Calculation of costs has been made based on the prescribed fire conducted for the DESIRE project. They represent the costs to burn 3-4ha, during a morning and including human resources (12 people), equipment (fire torch, fuel, special fire protection clothing, scythes, and hoses) and specialized fire fighting vehicles.

4.8 Factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Describa los factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Prescribed fire costs: timing, the right number in the team, fuel type and specific local conditions (slope and vegetation) are the most important determining factors affecting the costs.

5.1 Clima

5.2 Topografía

5.3 Suelos

5.4 Disponibilidad y calidad de agua

5.5 Biodiversidad

5.6 Las características de los usuarios de la tierra que aplican la Tecnología

Indique otras características relevantes de los usuarios de las tierras:

Population density: < 10 persons/km2
Annual population growth: negative
25% of the land users are average wealthy.
75% of the land users are poor.
Market orientation of production system: Mixed (for example, mechanised agroforestry) Wild fire risk reduction

5.7 Área promedio de la tierra que pertenece a o es arrendada por usuarios de tierra que aplican la Tecnología

5.8 Tenencia de tierra, uso de tierra y derechos de uso de agua

Tenencia de tierra:

• comunitaria/ aldea

Derechos de uso de tierra:

• comunitarios (organizado)

Derechos de uso de agua:

• acceso abierto (no organizado)

5.9 Acceso a servicios e infraestructura

6.1 Impactos in situ demostrados por la Tecnología

Impactos socioeconómicos

Producción

Disponibilidad y calidad de agua

Impactos socioculturales

Impactos ecológicos

Ciclo de agua/ escurrimiento de sedimento

Suelo

Biodiversidad: vegetación, animales

Reducción de riesgos de desastres y riesgos climáticos

6.2 Impactos fuera del sitio demostrados por la Tecnología

6.3 Exposición y sensibilidad de la Tecnología al cambio climático gradual y a extremos relacionados al clima/ desastres (desde la percepción de los usuarios de tierras)

Extremos (desastres) relacionados al clima

Desastres climatológicos

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
sequía	bien

Otras consecuencias relacionadas al clima

Otras consecuencias relacionadas al clima

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
wheather conditions	no muy bien

Comentarios:

As a result of the characteristics of the technique, it is not possible to make modifications except to select the right weather conditions and the fuel load.

6.4 Análisis costo-beneficio

¿Cómo se comparan los beneficios con los costos de establecimiento (desde la perspectiva de los usuarios de tierra)?

Comentarios:

The major benefit it is to prevent fores fires by reducing fuel quantities. A second benefit it is the increase of pasture on the next years that will be available to animals.

6.5 Adopción de la Tecnología

Comentarios:

There is a strong trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology

Comments on adoption trend: In vulnerable areas, there is a need for reduction of the fuel load, removal of the vegetative cover or promotion of new plant growth.

6.7 Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades de la Tecnología

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave
The vegetation is adapted to the fire – impact minimization. How can they be sustained / enhanced? ore use of controlled fires.
With prescribed burning, larger areas can be treated compared to other fire control techniques, limited to strips in strategic areas, which are so difficult and expensive, whereas with prescribed burning, there is effective control of the vegetation over a large area”. How can they be sustained / enhanced? continue the use of controlled burning.
Difficult operating conditions and high costs make the technology unsuitable for certain areas costs How can they be sustained / enhanced? continued use of the controlled fire technique instead of other techniques.
It is cheaper than other control measures, for instance mechanical ones
In comparison with other techniques that manage biomass, this technique is more conservational, and it is culturally embedded in the local population way of life. It contributes to landscape diversification and the development of the local economy. It introduces fire as an essential feature of the Mediterranean landscape in a controlled manner.

6.8 Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos de la Tecnología y formas de sobreponerse a ellos

Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave	¿Cómo sobreponerse a ellas?
Air pollution	ensure that the wind direction does not carry smoke over settlements. However, it is not possible to eliminate the smoke problem. In particular, a certain degree of moisture is required in the fuel load to enable the fire to be controlled, in order that the burning temperature is low and this tends to produce smoke.
Lack of knowledge of people living near the burnt areas	improved education via schools, community meetings and in pamphlets.
Possibility of the control loss of the prescribed fire	care needed to prevent this happening.
Safety of the personnel carrying out the burn	conduct risk assessment exercises, carry out detailed planning and only apply the technology under the right weather conditions

7.2 Vínculos a las publicaciones disponibles

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Fernandes, P., Botelho, H., Loureiro, C. 2002. Manual de formação para a técnica do fogo controlado. CNEFF, UTAD, Maio de 2002