1141 | 829 | Spatio-temporal Distribution of Hotspots over the Cerrado Mineiro: a preliminary analysis connecting agricultural land use and fire recurrence | Silvio Carlos Rodrigues(1), Gabriel Henrique de Almeida Pereira(2), João Vitor Meza Bravo(1), Jorge Luis Silva Brito(1), Haendell Luiz Silva Costa(3) ; Xávier Ubeda(4); Antonio Bento Gonçalves(5), Antonio A. B. Vieira (5)

The fire can negatively affects the Cerrado Mineiro landscape (Brazillian Savanna), especially in those regions with intense agricultural practices: a common scenario in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Preventing or mitigating the impacts of these fire-related phenomena is vital for conserving the Cerrado biome. Therefore, here we mapped and analyzed the recurrence of hotspots within a study region from 2010 to 2022. We have associated these hotspots with land use, seeking to find patterns of hotspot recurrence connected to different agricultural practices and recognizing regions with frequent surface heat events. To this end, we mapped land use with data from the MAPBIOMAS project. To map the areas of hotspot recurrence, we used data from FIRMS/NASA. We observed a clear cyclical pattern of occurrence of hotspots, with particular concentration during August to October. This was expected once it follows the regional weather patterns, with dry months during this period. Furthermore, when we analyze the historical series over the last four years, there is a slight tendency for an increase in hotspots. This result indicates that prevention policies have not been as effective as they should be. Regarding the spatial distribution of hotspots, we noticed that their recurrence is regularly distributed all over the studied territory, with approximately 60% of the occurrences related to areas with active agriculture, including pasture. We also observed that the south portion – largely occupied by sugarcane plantations and pasture – concentrates the highest frequency of occurrence of hot spots: an expected pattern, given the type of management employed in these types of land use. Here we emphasize that, in a later stage, we intend to analyze the consequences of fire recurrence and intensity on vegetation regeneration; until now, the results reinforce the need to persevere in this study to understand the relationship between fire patterns and agriculture practiced in the Cerrado Mineiro.

Silvio Carlos Rodrigues(1), Gabriel Henrique de Almeida Pereira(2), João Vitor Meza Bravo(1), Jorge Luis Silva Brito(1), Haendell Luiz Silva Costa(3) ; Xávier Ubeda(4); Antonio Bento Gonçalves(5), Antonio A. B. Vieira (5)
(1)Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; (2)SIMEPAR; (3) Corpo Bombeiros MG; (4)Universidad de Barcelona; (5) Universidade do Minho
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