Description
Fire is a key driver of many ecosystem patterns and processes across the globe, and it is therefore an essential component of natural and protected areas. However, inappropriate fire regimeswhether too frequent, too infrequent, or occurring outside ecologically appropriate seasonscan lead to ecological damage, while unplanned wildfires can threaten property, livelihoods, and lives.
Given these ecological and safety considerations, managers of protected areas and natural ecosystems must blend scientific evidence, practical experience, and logistical constraints to use fire sensibly and responsibly. This integration is necessary to achieve a range of sometimes conflicting outcomes; for example, fire regimes that are ecologically desirable may be unsafe in certain contexts, or management objectives may shift over time.
With FES2026 taking place in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, renowned for its long history of science-informed fire management and home to one of the oldest continuously running fire experiments globally, this session aims to explore the ecological-practice interface. As such, the session will feature applied ecological studies that explicitly engage with management realities and experiences.
Description
Increasingly severe wildfires are escalating challenges for land managers, researchers, and policymakers in many parts of the world. Normalising fire in the landscape is considered a key strategy for reducing fuel loads and increasing awareness among local residents and stakeholders. Traditional and Indigenous knowledge systems contribute valuable, place-based approaches to reducing fuel loads in fire-prone areas, including the use of prescribed burning, grazing regimes, and context-specific water management. When effectively implemented, such practices can promote shared stewardship, support ecosystem services and heritage values, and improve the climate resilience of fire-prone landscapes. However, effective management may be constrained by conservation-oriented policies and the insufficient understanding of the social, cultural, governance, and contextual factors key to successful outcomes. This session examines the ways in which traditional and Indigenous knowledge supports the management of fire-susceptible landscapes. We invite contributions from researchers and practitioners that analyse the circumstances under which such knowledge can meaningfully inform and enhance fire-risk management.
Description
Increasingly severe wildfires are escalating challenges for land managers, researchers, and policymakers in many parts of the world. Normalising fire in the landscape is considered a key strategy for reducing fuel loads and increasing awareness among local residents and stakeholders. Traditional and Indigenous knowledge systems contribute valuable, place-based approaches to reducing fuel loads in fire-prone areas, including the use of prescribed burning, grazing regimes, and context-specific water management. When effectively implemented, such practices can promote shared stewardship, support ecosystem services and heritage values, and improve the climate resilience of fire-prone landscapes. However, effective management may be constrained by conservation-oriented policies and the insufficient understanding of the social, cultural, governance, and contextual factors key to successful outcomes. This session examines the ways in which traditional and Indigenous knowledge supports the management of fire-susceptible landscapes. We invite contributions from researchers and practitioners that analyse the circumstances under which such knowledge can meaningfully inform and enhance fire-risk management.
Description
A conference session exploring fire management strategies and policies from around the world. As landscapes and ecosystems continue to face increasing wildfire risks, the need for collaborative learning, adaptive management, and cross-biome knowledge sharing has never been more important. This session brings together experts, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to showcase lessons learned from diverse biomes from savannas, grasslands, and Mediterranean systems to forests, wetlands, and arid environments. Participants will gain valuable insights into how different regions approach fire prevention, mitigation, ecological fire use, and policy development.
Description
This session focuses on practical ways to adapt fire management to warming climate. Examples could include community engagement, infrastructure adaptation to climate change in different environments/pyromes, or fire regime implications of species shifts. Presentations will meet the Congress´s goal of promoting the interplay between science and management.
