Abstract

HUERTA-MARTINEZ, Francisco Martín  and  IBARRA-MONTOYA, José Luis. Wildfires at la primavera forest, Jalisco, Mexico: an approach to possible causes and consequences. CienciaUAT [online]. 2014, vol.9, n.1, pp.23-32. ISSN 2007-7858.

The flora and fauna protection area La Primavera, located in Jalisco, Mexico, presents a forest fire rate which has varied between 0 and 60 incidents per year in the last fifteen years. However, it has no program for preventing and mitigating the effects, due to the lack of documented information on the possible causes and consequences, as well as the processes of change in the coverage. In this study, 12 maps were created about burned zones within La Primavera in a time period from 1998 to 2012; with the use of data from fire coverage and affected areas, and their manipulation through a Geographical Information System (GIS). The forest annual loss rate due to wildfires was 1.31 %. Maps showed that localities burned more often were: Los Chorros de Tala, La Lobera, Agua Dulce, La Primavera, Las Tinajas and El Tecuán. Whithin the main causes is the agronomic practice of burning sugarcane crops to increase performance during the harvest, which causes fires in nearby forest areas. Another cause of fires is the fuel accumulation, which combined with environmental conditions of extreme drought and high winds, cause large magnitude fires. Historical analysis of fire trends in the area during the studied time period showed an increase in the forest area loss due to fire. The generation of risk and prevention maps is necessary, as well as the promotion of the correct use of fire, and the establishment of mechanisms for decision making on land use.

Keywords : Fires; Natural Protected Area; wild flora and fauna refuge; spatial distribution; risk maps.

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