Abstract

FARFAN, Michelle; OROZCO ZAMORA, Carolina; ALCANTARA, Camilo  and  NICASIO ARZETA, Sergio. Analysis of the Anthropogenic Probability of Forest Fires in the Tempisque Conservation Area, Costa Rica: An Approach Based on Weights of Evidence and Landscape Metrics. Rev. Geog. Amer. Central [online]. 2025, n.75, pp.97-122.  Epub June 19, 2025. ISSN 2215-2563.  http://dx.doi.org/10.15359/rgac.75-2.04.

This study analyzes the relationship between forest fires and landscape fragmentation in the Tempisque Conservation Area (ACT) and the Chorotega Biological Corridor (CBCh), Costa Rica. Using MODIS satellite data (2000-2024) and landscape metrics, a 62.96% increase in wildfires was observed in the last decade, especially in fragmented areas with low forest cover and high edge density. The estimated size of forest fragments with a high probability of anthropogenic ignition was 6.26 ha. The northern zone of the ACT showed a higher probability of fires and fragmentation than the southern zone. The results are crucial for developing fire prevention and management strategies, promoting community resilience to climate change.

Keywords : anthropogenic ignitions; tropical forest; fragmentation; grasslands; agricultural burning.

        · abstract in Spanish | Portuguese     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )