Within the framework of the CIFOR/ICRAF/USFS project on underlying causes and impacts offires in South-east Asia, 8 sites were studied in detail by linking spatial data with socioeconomicinformation, to provide a solid basis for a scientific study of the causes and impactsof vegetation fires. This report provides the results of an analysis of the causes and impacts ofvegetation fires in the Musi Banyu Asin (MUBA) coastal swamp area in South SumatraProvince, Sumatra, Indonesia. The 250,000 ha study area can be generally classified as coastalswamps with a fringe of mangroves and nipah (Nypa fruticans) palm situated along the tidalrivers and seacoast. Inland from the coast, most of the swamp forests have disappeared due tologging (both legal and illegal), fires and transmigration development. In 1997, large-scale firesburned up to 45 % of the land area of the site, destroying most of the remaining, albeitdegraded, swamp forest. The largest, single, contiguous burnt area was almost 32,000 ha in sizeproducing much smoke in the process.
Publication year
2000
Authors
Werners S E; West J J; Leemans R; Tbara J D; Dai X; Flachner Z; Cots F; Neufeldt H; McEvoy D; Trombi G
Language
English
Keywords
impact assessment, asia, fires, indonesia
Geographic
Indonesia
