Why Pyrosfera?
Wildfires are becoming more frequent, intense, and unpredictable, putting ecosystems and communities at risk. Pyrosfera was created to help explain Integrated Fire Management (IFM), currently one of the most effective ways to approach and respond to the evolving wildfire scenarios.
A bit of wildfire science
Fire is a natural part of many ecosystems, and each ecosystem has its own fire regime—the typical frequency, intensity, and seasonality of fires that it experiences. Around the world, fire regimes are changing due to climate change and human activity, making wildfires more frequent, intense, or unpredictable. This creates new challenges for both nature and people. One of these challenges is extreme wildfires, which overwhelm both the suppression capacity of emergency services and the ability of ecosystems and communities to adapt, leading to long-lasting impacts on society and nature.
Some ecosystems depend on fire to thrive, and many species have adapted to their local fire regimes. For example, in the Brazilian Cerrado, the plant Bulbostylis paradoxa can flower just 24 hours after a fire, showing how life can respond rapidly to fire patterns. Understanding these adaptations helps us grasp the importance of maintaining balanced fire regimes.
Fire is also deeply connected to human culture. For millennia, Indigenous and rural communities have used fire to manage landscapes in ways adapted to local fire regimes. For example, traditional burning practices in Mediterranean pastoral systems or Indigenous fire use in Latin America have helped maintain open ecosystems, support livelihoods, and reduce the risk of extreme wildfires. These practices highlight fire as a cultural tool, not only as a hazard.
Integrated Fire Management (IFM) provides a way to navigate this complex reality. By understanding both the ecological and cultural roles of fire, IFM helps communities and ecosystems adapt to changing fire regimes. You can explore IFM practices in Pyrosfera to see real-world examples from Europe and Latin America.
To learn more about wildfire science
Incendios forestales
Juli G. Pausas (2018)
Fire: A Very Short Introduction
Stephen J. Pyne (2015) (book)
The project behind it
Pyrosfera was developed by the FIRE-ADAPT project. FIRE-ADAPT brings together expertise from Europe and Latin America to study how IFM affects biodiversity, carbon, and society in areas where wildfire patterns are changing.
Through six Study Hubs in Spain, France, Italy, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, as well as staff exchanges among all partner organisations, FIRE-ADAPT connects researchers, fire management agencies, and non-profit organisations to share knowledge, develop methods, and promote IFM practices that help people live with fire while protecting nature and communities.
Organisations making it possible
Pyrosfera is coordinated by the Pau Costa Foundation and made possible thanks to the institutions in the FIRE-ADAPT consortium.
Organisations contributing IFM practices
The following organisations have contributed examples of IFM practices and insights. Special thanks to them!
