Preventing Forest Fires in a Changing Environment in Ticino, Southern Switzerland: a Social and Environmental Approach

Context

Forest Fire

Forest fires are common events in winter in Ticino, southern Switzerland. During winter little precipitation and strong Foehn winds occur, resulting in frequent droughts. This drastically dries out the fuel available, and forest fires are likely to burn intensely. Forests are valued by humans for several reasons, and fires reduce their perceived value. Ironically, people are the primary source of ignition of forest fires. We assess this dual role in an integrated manner to better understand human behaviour towards forest fire phenomena, linking our results to climate change and its impacts.

Climate is a key element, which affects relative humidity within the forests. In Southern Switzerland, we have observed increasing trends in extreme drought, probably linked to climatic change. These changes are more important than changes in annual precipitation sums. An increase in extreme drought implies a higher risk for forest fires. Climate also governs the nature of vegetation and the fuel load in the forests. Climatic changes might lead to modifications of the current species composition in the forests. Furthermore, not all vegetation types burn similarly and some trees are more resistant to fire than others. These changes may well affect the behaviour of forest fires and their altitudinal distribution.

Available fuel in the forests builds up from natural vegetation growth, but largely depends on agro-forestry activities. Fuel consists of standing and fallen wood (live and dead), leaves or needles (dry and humid) on the ground and trees, and grasses (dry or green). The quantity and quality available matters because it defines the intensity of a fire event.

Forest fires cannot be regarded as natural phenomena in the South of Switzerland because they are mostly anthropogenically triggered. The changing climatic patterns set new conditions for the forests, however, climate and vegetation response cannot explain the sudden increase in forest fires events by themselves. Research focus is now set on public perception of fire and behaviour in order to develop optimal fire mitigation strategies that rely on sound ecological and social knowledge.

Methods

The integrated approach of the present research required a selection of various quantitative and qualitative methods:

• Statistical exploration and analysis of fire, society and climate records
  
• Semi-directive interviews and Focused Group Reseach
  
• Questionnaires
  
• Integration of cultural and natural aspects using GIS for decision making support

Participants

• Michael Reinhard
  
• Martine Rebetez (co-supervisor at WSL)
  
• Rodolphe Schlaepfer (co-supervisor at EPFL)

Contact

• Martine Rebetez
  

Publications

• Reinhard, M., Rebetez, M. & Schlaepfer, R., 2004. Recent Climate Change: Rethinking Drought in the Context of Forest Fire Research in Ticino, South of Switzerland, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, accepted
  
• Rebetez M., Reinhard, M. & A. Bütler, 2004. Forests, Tree Physiology and Climate, Encyclopedia of Forest Sciences, edited by J.Burley, J.Evans and J.A. Youngquist, Academic Press, London.
  
• Reinhard, M., Alexakis, E., Rebetez, M. 2002. De l'Australie au Tessin, le risque (accru) des incendies de forêts, in: La Forêt, 03/02, March 2002.
  
• Alexakis, E., Reinhard, M. 2002. Incendi boschivi in Ticino: prospettive nel contesto dei cambiamenti climatici, in: Corriere del Ticino, 24 January 2002, p.48
  
• Alexakis, E. 2001. Feux de forêts: liens entre les pressions anthropiques sur le territoire et l’évolution climatique, Presses Universitaires UQAM, Montréal, 75p.
  
• Reinhard, M. 2001. Forest Fires and Climate Change in Southern Alpine Areas: Socio-Economic Adaptations in the South of Switzerland, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, 70p.
  
• Alexakis, E., 2000. L'influence du climat et de l'homme sur l'évolution des feux de forêt au Tessin, Mémoire de licence, Université de Genève (fac. SES, géographie), 40p.
  
• Rebetez, M., 1999. Twentieth century trends in drought in Southern Switzerland. Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 26, no 6 : 755-758.