Exploring the ethnobiological practices of fire in three natural regions of Ecuador, through the integration of traditional knowledge and scientific approaches.

This study examines the convergence between traditional and scientific knowledge regarding the use of fire and its potential to trigger wildfires, with possible impacts on ecosystems and human well-being. The research encompasses three distinct natural regions of Ecuador: the coast, the highlands, and the Amazon. Data on traditional fire use were collected through semi-structured interviews with 791 members from five local communities. These data were compared with climatic variables (rainfall (mm), relative humidity (%), wind speed (km/h), and wind direction) to understand the climatic conditions conducive to wildfires and their relationship with human perceptions. Furthermore, the severity of fires over the past 4 years (2019-2022) was assessed using remote sensing methods, employing the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and the difference between pre-fire and post-fire conditions (NBR Pre-fire-NBR Post-fire). The results revealed a significant alignment between traditional knowledge, climatic data, and many fires, which were of low severity, suggesting potential benefits for ecosystems. These findings not only enable the identification of optimal techniques and timing for traditional burns but also contribute to human well-being by maintaining a harmonious balance between communities and their environment. Additionally, they provide valuable insights for the development of more inclusive and effective integrated fire management strategies in these natural areas of Ecuador.

Indigenous use of fire in the paramo ecosystem of southern Ecuador: a case study using remote sensing methods and ancestral knowledge of the Kichwa Saraguro people.

Background: The Indigenous Kichwa Saraguro people of southern Ecuador have long relied on traditional burning to manage their environment. However, their traditional use of fire in one of the most important ecosystems in southern Ecuador, the herbaceous paramo, is not well known. This lack of knowledge does not allow for the improvement of local regulations related to integrated fire management, which is a shortcoming compared to other regulations applied in South America. In this context, and to understand the impacts of the Indigenous use of fire, a climatic analysis of the area was carried out, generating a historical climograph (period: years 1981-2021) and four annual climographs that were contrasted with a remote sensing study of fire severity over 4 years (years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021). In addition, traditional fire use was determined through the application of semi-structured interview questionnaires applied to 61 women and 89 men, whose data were analyzed with the level of information fidelity (LIF), informant consensus factor (ICF), and principal component analysis (PCA). Therefore, in this study, we argue that it is important to incorporate the concepts of (i) wildfire severity and (ii) cultural burning in wildfire policies and regulations in southern Ecuador. Results: The results indicate that low-severity fires occur within the Saraguro territory and that fire use knowledge is transmitted to new generations incorporating both how and where to perform traditional burning. They also know when to burn using the burning calendar that is generally applied during the climatic phenomenon known as "Veranillo del Niño" (VdN). Conclusions: These results can help decision-makers design policies, regulations, and proposals for the correct use of fire as a tool for the management of ecosystems in southern Ecuador affected by wildfires. In addition, the results can be used to improve the National Strategy for Integrated Fire Management 2021-2025 promoted by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of Ecuador.

Antecedentes: El pueblo indígena de los Kichwa-Saraguro del sur de Ecuador ha confiado en las quemas tradicionales para manejar su ambiente. Sin embargo, su uso tradicional en uno de los ecosistemas más importantes en el sur de Ecuador, el páramo herbáceo, no es bien conocido. Esta falta de conocimiento no permite el mejoramiento de las regulaciones locales relacionadas con el manejo integrado del fuego, lo cual significa una anormalidad comparada con otras regulaciones aplicadas en América del Sur. En este contexto y para entender los impactos del uso indígena del fuego, un análisis climático del área fue llevado a cabo, generando un climograma histórico (desde 1981 a 2021) y cuatro climogramas anuales que fueron contrastados con un estudio de severidad del fuego mediante sensores remotos por cuatro años (2018, 2019, 2020 y 2021). Adicionalmente, el uso tradicional del fuego fue determinado mediante la aplicación de cuestionarios semiestructurados a 61 mujeres y 89 hombres, y cuyos datos fueron analizados mediante la fidelidad del nivel de información (LIF), el factor de consenso del informante (ICF) y un análisis de componentes principales (PCA). Por lo tanto, argüimos que es importante incorporar los conceptos de i) severidad de los incendios y ii) quemas culturales, en las políticas y regulaciones del manejo de fuego en el sur de Ecuador. Resultados: Los resultados indican que los fuegos de baja severidad ocurren dentro del territorio del Saguaro y que el conocimiento sobre el uso del fuego es transmitido a nuevas generaciones incorporando tanto el cómo y el cuándo hacer las quemas tradicionales. Ellos saben también cuándo quemar mediante el uso del calendario de quemas, que es generalmente aplicado durante el fenómeno climático conocido como Veranillo del Niño (VdN). Conclusiones: Estos Resultados pueden ayudar a los decisores a diseñar políticas, regulaciones, y propuesta para el uso del fuego como herramienta de manejo de los ecosistemas del sur de Ecuador afectados por incendios. Adicionalmente, los resultados pueden usarse para mejorar la Estrategia Nacional para el Manejo Integrado del Fuego 2021-2025 promovido por el Ministerio de Ambiente, Agua y Transición Ecológica de Ecuador.