FIRE REGIME IN THE PIMENTEL BARBOSA INDIGENOUS LAND, MATO GROSSO, BRAZIL

Abstract

The Pimentel Barbosa Indigenous Land (PBIL), which belongs to the Xavante ethnic group, is in the region with the highest annual fire activity in the world, indicating the need for accurate monitoring of spatial and temporal patterns of fire events. In this context, this study characterizes the fire regime in the PBIL from 1984 to 2018 and correlates to the types of vegetation and land use, and the culture of the local Xavante people. Fire scars were identified, mapped and then their spatial distribution and frequency were analyzed, including aspects of plant typology and land use. Over the 34-year study period, the burned area in the PBIL was 1,500% larger than its total area, with evidence of burning in over half the area in several years. There was no spatial pattern to indicate the use of traditional practices. The Savanna areas and agricultural land accounted for more than 90% of the total affected area. The fire frequency was classified as medium or high (9 to 34 occurrences) for all land use types, showing that twenty times the most common frequency. The Xavante went through forced migrations, and the expropriation and fragmentation of their territory have altered their semi-nomadic way of life. This has resulted in sedentarization, the modification of their territorial structure, and the integration of their culture into mainstream Brazilian social norms. This process is mainly responsible for the current burning scenario, indicating the need for actions so that fire can be used as a sustainable tool.

Keywords:
Fire; Mapping; Xavante; Frequency