Nov 7, 2013 · Dry season fires play an important role in African savanna. Much like in the conifer forests of the western United States, these fires do not destroy habitat or devastate the biological community. The University of California’s Museum of Paleontology website provides an excellent description of the effects of fires on savanna ecology:

Sep 2, 2015 · Africa’s savanna fires comprise the largest proportion (71%) of areas burned globally and the trees, shrubs and grasses are well adapted to fire.

The ability of African savannas to support fire is because they are highly prone to lightning storms and have an ideal fire climate, comprising a distinct wet season when plant materials can grow and accumulate and a dry season when they become highly flammable plant fuels.

Dubbed ‘the Fire Continent’, over the past two decades, savanna fires occurring in sub-Saharan Africa have accounted for over 60% of global fire extent, of which more than half has occurred in the Southern Hemisphere.

May 13, 2021 · Our results show that fires spread faster (1) in the middle of the dry season compared to the early or late dry season, (2) in areas that are far away from natural and anthropogenic firebreaks, and (3) in areas that are covered with highly flammable vegetation.

In the savanna areas of Africa fire is recognized as having an important ecological role in the development and maintenance of productive and stable savanna communities (Phillips 1965; Lemon 1968; Austen 1971; Gillon 1971a; van Wyk 1971; Vesey-Fitzgerald 1971; West 1971).

Aug 12, 2021 · While shifting fire regimes in savannas could possibly reduce emissions of GHGs, the approach used by the authors is overly simple and contains too many uncertainties for application in Africa....

Oct 23, 2023 · Late dry-season wildfires in sub-Saharan Africa’s savanna-protected areas are intensifying, increasing carbon emissions, and threatening ecosystem functioning. Addressing these challenges requires active local community engagement and support for wildfire policy.

Jun 4, 2023 · Fire plays an integral role in shaping the vegetation structure of savanna ecosystems. However, the effects of fire regime characteristics, such as frequency and season of burn, on savanna vegetation structure, biomass and tree abundance across landscape types are largely unknown.

May 2, 2024 · We evaluated historical patterns of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer active fires in African tropical forests from 2003 to 2021. Trends were mostly positive, particularly in the northeastern and southern Congo Basin, and were concentrated in areas with high deforestation.