Fire patterns in north-eastern Argentina: influences of climate and land use/cover

Fires are one of the most frequent disturbances on terrestrial ecosystems, thus making their understanding and prediction crucial for their management. While the fuels condition are linked to well-known environmental factors, the ignition triggering agents are less understood and may display a more stochastic behaviour. We studied the regional relationship between the fire density and frequency, climate and land use/cover in the north-east region of Argentina using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) hotspots data, daily weather reports and land use/cover data at national level. The pre-fire water availability index showed a significantly negative relationship with hotspot densities (r(2) = 0.51, p < 0.01). The uncultivated land coverage, mainly represented by natural grasslands, was positively associated with the fire density (for Entre Rios, r(2) = 0.74, p < 0.0001 and for Corrientes, r(2) = 0.67, p < 0.0001). The results highlight the potential of remote sensing for fire monitoring in this region and its value in urgently needed policies for fire control and management.