Framework for a savanna burning emissions abatement methodology applicable to fire-prone miombo woodlands in southern Africa

Jeremy Russell-Smith; Cameron Yates; Roland Vernooij; Tom Eames; Diane Lucas; Keddy Mbindo; Sarah Banda; Kanembwa Mukoma; Adrian Kaluka; Alex Liseli; Jomo Mafoko; Othusitse Lekoko; Robin Beatty; Mirjam Kaestli; Guido van der Werf; Natasha Ribeiro

doi:10.1071/WF23193

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Framework for a savanna burning emissions abatement methodology applicable to fire-prone miombo woodlands in southern Africa

Jeremy Russell-Smith ^A ^B ^* , Cameron Yates ^A ^B , Roland Vernooij ^C , Tom Eames ^D , Diane Lucas ^B , Keddy Mbindo ^E , Sarah Banda ^E , Kanembwa Mukoma ^E , Adrian Kaluka ^F , Alex Liseli ^F , Jomo Mafoko ^G , Othusitse Lekoko ^A ^B ^H , Robin Beatty ^I , Mirjam Kaestli ^J , Guido van der Werf ^C and Natasha Ribeiro ^K

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia.

^B International Savanna Fire Management Initiative (ISFMI), 87 Canterbury Road, Middle Park, Vic., Australia.

^C Environmental Sciences Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

^D Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

^E Department of Forestry, Kitwe, Zambia.

^F Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Chilanga, Zambia.

^G Department of Forestry and Range Resources, Gaborone, Botswana.

^H Department of Environmental Science, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.

^I 321Fire, Praia do Tofo, Inhambane, Mozambique.

^J Research Institute of Environment & Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia.

^K Faculty of Agronomy and Forest Engineering, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique.

^* Correspondence to: Jeremy.russell-smith@cdu.edu.au

International Journal of Wildland Fire 33, WF23193 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF23193

Submitted: 5 December 2023 Accepted: 13 April 2024 Published: 3 May 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of IAWF. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Background and aims

To assess development of a robust emissions accounting framework for expansive miombo woodland savannas covering ~2 million km² of southern Africa that typically are burnt under relatively severe late dry season (LDS) conditions.

Methods

A detailed site-based study of fuel accumulation, combustion and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factor parameters under early dry season (EDS) and LDS conditions along a central rainfall-productivity and associated miombo vegetation structural and floristics gradient, from lower rainfallsites in northern Botswana to higher rainfall sites in northern Zambia.

Key results

Assembled field data inform core components of the proposed emissions reduction framework: fuel and combustion conditions sampled across the vegetation/productivity gradient can be represented by three defined Vegetation Fuel Types (VFTs); fuel accumulation, combustion and emissions parameters are presented for these. Applying this framework for an illustrative case, GHG emissions (t CO₂-e) from EDS fires were one-third to half those of LDS fires per unit area in eligible miombo VFTs.

Conclusions

Our accounting framework supports undertaking EDS fire management to significantly reduce emissions and, realistically, burnt extent at landscape scales. We consider application of presented data to development of formal emissions abatement accounting methods, linkages with potential complementary woody biomass and soil organic carbon sequestration approaches, and necessary caveats concerning implementation issues.

Keywords: carbon markets, emission factors, fire management, fuel accumulation, fuel combustion, greenhouse gases, miombo.

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