Impacts of Fire on Flow Magnitude and Variability in the Southeastern Amazon Basin.
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| Title: | Impacts of Fire on Flow Magnitude and Variability in the Southeastern Amazon Basin. |
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| Authors: | Siddiqui, Sharmin F.1 (AUTHOR), Reaver, Nathan G. F.2 (AUTHOR), Kaplan, David A.1 (AUTHOR) dkaplan@ufl.edu |
| Source: | Water Resources Research. May2026, Vol. 62 Issue 5, p1-19. 19p. |
| Subjects: | Forest fire ecology, Watershed hydrology, Hydrologic cycle, Ecological impact, Tropical ecosystems, Stream measurements, Measurement of runoff, Hydrology |
| Abstract: | Increasing fire within the Amazon rainforest is a significant disturbance that has the potential to alter flow regimes and subsequently impact local ecology and ecosystem services. While previous studies have examined the impact of land cover change on streamflow, the specific effects of fire on the hydrology of Amazonian forested catchments remain uncertain, especially in previously undisturbed forests. This study investigates the impacts of fire on hydrology in the Amazon using a before‐after control‐impact (BACI) paired‐watershed approach. Our analysis tested for post‐fire changes in the magnitude and variability of the streamflow regimes of five watersheds in the southeastern Brazilian Amazon. Flow regime magnitude and variability were quantified using monthly basin yield and coefficient of variation, number of reversals, and average rise rate. Differences in metrics before and after fire disturbance were assessed relative to nearby reference watersheds. Following fire disturbance, three of five watersheds showed increases in magnitude and four watersheds showed increases in variability. Fire effect size ranged from 6.01% to 7.98% for streamflow magnitude and from 10.9% to 70.3% for variability. Our findings confirm that fire affects streamflow in the Amazon, with the primary impacts being increases in streamflow variability. Overall, this study provides insights into the impact of fire on Amazonian catchment hydrology and highlights the importance of considering fire as a factor in managing and protecting tropical forest ecosystems. Plain Language Summary: Changes in land cover, including fire, can affect how much water flows in rivers and how variable those flows are over time. This study compares river flow before and after fire in five watersheds in the southeastern Brazilian Amazon, paired with nearby unburned catchments, to assess the impacts of moderate‐extent fires (∼6%–20% of the catchment burned) on streamflow magnitude and variability. We found that fire altered river flow in all five watersheds, generally increasing both the amount and variability of flow. Following fire, streamflow increased by ∼6%–8%, while streamflow variability increased much more, up to 70%. This study shows that river hydrology is sensitive to even moderate wildfires, with the biggest impacts on streamflow variability. Given that many aquatic species (like fish) rely on specific patterns of river flows, this research suggests that fires in the uplands have the potential to affect aquatic ecosystems in the years following fire disturbance. Key Points: Five watersheds were studied using a before‐after control‐impact approach to test for differences in streamflow after fire disturbancePost‐fire, all watersheds experienced increases in streamflow magnitude, variability, or both compared to reference catchmentsFire had a greater effect on streamflow variability than magnitude [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Engineering Source |
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