Assessing Burnt Area Severity in the Critical Zone Monitoring Site of a Philippine Natural Park

Wildfires are a global phenomenon shaping ecosystems and influencing biodiversity. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding fire severity and ecological recovery in tropical protected areas, particularly those dominated by invasive and pioneer grass species. Hence, this regional case study aimed to...

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Main Authors: Sobremonte-Maglipon Pauline Angela, Poblete Almyt A., Dagamac Nikki Heherson A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2025-09-01
Series:Journal of Landscape Ecology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2025-0020
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author Sobremonte-Maglipon Pauline Angela
Poblete Almyt A.
Dagamac Nikki Heherson A.
author_facet Sobremonte-Maglipon Pauline Angela
Poblete Almyt A.
Dagamac Nikki Heherson A.
author_sort Sobremonte-Maglipon Pauline Angela
collection DOAJ
description Wildfires are a global phenomenon shaping ecosystems and influencing biodiversity. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding fire severity and ecological recovery in tropical protected areas, particularly those dominated by invasive and pioneer grass species. Hence, this regional case study aimed to create the first burn severity map of the Core Zone Monitoring area in Mts. Iglit-Baco Natural Park, Philippines, using Landsat satellite imagery from 2020-2021 to evaluate fire impacts on grassland dynamics. The analysis employed pre- and post-fire satellite data and burn indices, revealing that 44.39 % of the landscape remained unburned, while the rest experienced varying burn severities. Remarkably, 45.64 % of the burned areas showed enhanced regrowth within 11 months, demonstrating significant recovery potential of the area. These findings highlight the interplay between fire disturbances and ecological resilience with a geomatic approach that provides a replicable framework for fire severity assessments and offers valuable insights for conservation planning globally.
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series Journal of Landscape Ecology
spelling doaj-art-e968da3c0baa438f9dca8b7acedf2c0e2025-08-20T03:41:41ZengSciendoJournal of Landscape Ecology1805-41962025-09-01183627310.2478/jlecol-2025-0020Assessing Burnt Area Severity in the Critical Zone Monitoring Site of a Philippine Natural ParkSobremonte-Maglipon Pauline Angela0Poblete Almyt A.1Dagamac Nikki Heherson A.21The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, España, 1015, ManilaPhilippines2Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Santo Tomas, España, 1015, ManilaPhilippines1The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, España, 1015, ManilaPhilippinesWildfires are a global phenomenon shaping ecosystems and influencing biodiversity. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding fire severity and ecological recovery in tropical protected areas, particularly those dominated by invasive and pioneer grass species. Hence, this regional case study aimed to create the first burn severity map of the Core Zone Monitoring area in Mts. Iglit-Baco Natural Park, Philippines, using Landsat satellite imagery from 2020-2021 to evaluate fire impacts on grassland dynamics. The analysis employed pre- and post-fire satellite data and burn indices, revealing that 44.39 % of the landscape remained unburned, while the rest experienced varying burn severities. Remarkably, 45.64 % of the burned areas showed enhanced regrowth within 11 months, demonstrating significant recovery potential of the area. These findings highlight the interplay between fire disturbances and ecological resilience with a geomatic approach that provides a replicable framework for fire severity assessments and offers valuable insights for conservation planning globally.https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2025-0020geospatial analysislandscape management mappingnormalized burn ratioplant regrowthpyroecology
spellingShingle Sobremonte-Maglipon Pauline Angela
Poblete Almyt A.
Dagamac Nikki Heherson A.
Assessing Burnt Area Severity in the Critical Zone Monitoring Site of a Philippine Natural Park
Journal of Landscape Ecology
geospatial analysis
landscape management mapping
normalized burn ratio
plant regrowth
pyroecology
title Assessing Burnt Area Severity in the Critical Zone Monitoring Site of a Philippine Natural Park
title_full Assessing Burnt Area Severity in the Critical Zone Monitoring Site of a Philippine Natural Park
title_fullStr Assessing Burnt Area Severity in the Critical Zone Monitoring Site of a Philippine Natural Park
title_full_unstemmed Assessing Burnt Area Severity in the Critical Zone Monitoring Site of a Philippine Natural Park
title_short Assessing Burnt Area Severity in the Critical Zone Monitoring Site of a Philippine Natural Park
title_sort assessing burnt area severity in the critical zone monitoring site of a philippine natural park
topic geospatial analysis
landscape management mapping
normalized burn ratio
plant regrowth
pyroecology
url https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2025-0020
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AT dagamacnikkihehersona assessingburntareaseverityinthecriticalzonemonitoringsiteofaphilippinenaturalpark