advantages of veld fires

Increased awareness and management of Social, Environmental and Economic risks Increased coordination in the event of a fire Let us take this opportunity to share experiences in implementing veld fire management projects. Anyone owning land has the first responsibility to control fires on his or her own land. More specifically, veld fires reduce land cover thus exposing the land to agents of accelerated soil … Runaway veld fires move through landscapes at an astonishing pace – destroying property, natural habitat and sometimes even lives. Fires can cause damage to property and homes, but they are also a crucial instrument that has helped man forge tools and keep predators at bay. Wildlife The beautiful grasslands in the Pafpa area look very benign in the summer when thoughts of veld fires are far from landowners' minds. Even though burns can cause severe injuries to the skin, fire has also helped man cook food. Type of Fire The most common types of fire in grassland and savanna areas are surface fires burning either as head or back fires. Gives a very hot glob of burning fuel to ignite debris. Fire has played a role in social development for humankind. 28 and 29 includes all the abovementioned officials. Certain short-, medium-, and long-terms measures can be taken to ensure that we lessen the possibility of veld and forest fires. Uncontrolled veld fires spread quickly during the dry winter months and cause major damage every year, which can be even less afforded in the current economic and social environment. Invasive plants affect native vegetation in many ways. Veld Fires in South Africa. Veld fires are therefore any fire which occurs outside the boundaries of urban build areas and pose the potential of running out of control. New Generations . Know the dangers of veld/bush fires and demonstrate how to take safety precautions when lighting, using and extinguishing fires in the open. fire suppression and fire exclusion, which decrease the frequency of fire. “Survival of the rested” is the usual result. These risks include not only the fire itself but also the road safety risks The Camp Fire occurred in November and cost over $10 billion. Decreased risk of veldfires. After the Forest Fire: Benefits to Plants. Fire intensities range widely with this burning system because it is applied from autumn to spring, allowing for significant variations in the moisture content of … Seven people died during the 2016 fire season. Burning against the wind, a very slow fire can be obtained and is usually called a “back-fire”. Veld grazed by sheep needs rest more frequently than if grazed by cattle, due to the severity of defoliation that sheep inflict. Runaway veld fires move through landscapes – destroying property, natural habitat and sometimes even lives. Excluding fire from veld in the long-term reduces production and grass quality (Everson & Everson, 2016). By nature, veldfires do not respect property or boundaries. Consider alien vegetation, especially species that invade native vegetation. VELD fires have been a characteristic annual catastrophe in the past decade destroying over a million hectares yearly. Background information Left unchecked, veld and forest fires can cause widespread destruction to property. 7  The fire was caused by poor maintenance of power lines owned by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). fires not only consumed forest and rangeland vegetation, but also adversely impacted wildlife habitat, recre ation and tourism, water quality and supply, and property values, all of which depend on a forested landscape. Manage and reduce veld fires pro-actively. Can ignite fuel in center of pile. A typical “Head-fire” to control bush encroachment. Most of these human-caused fires are accidental, usually caused by carelessness or inattention by campers, hikers, or others traveling through wildland or by debris and garbage burners. More serious is however the risk posed to the human lives of those traversing in areas prone to veld and forest fires. Let us take this opportunity to share experiences in implementing veld fire management projects. The buildup of decaying organic matter on the ground is fuel for wildfires. In view of the high risk of fire in our rural communities and the cost and possible loss of life involved, the National Veld and Forest Fire Act was introduced in 1998. In the savanna areas of Africa the fire is recognised as having In a typical veld burning scenario, a back-fire … Advantages of using fire Burnt grasslands have improved livestock production (and in particular, sheep production), while performance on unburnt veld is significantly lower About 90% of veld fires are started by humans; the other 10% are started by natural occurrences such as lightning. South Africa is entering what is described by the Volunteer Wildfire Services of South Africa as "Cape Fire Season." Property worth $84 787 and plantations valued at $152 736 were destroyed by the veld fires. Change is important to a healthy forest. Some species of trees and plants are actually fre dependent. When Eyvel proved to overpower most of the enemies and resist Mareeta's attempts to kill her, Veld cast Petrify upon her and turned her … Shortly after Raydrik's arrest of Leif, Veld was present in the Munster Castle arena with Raydrik, watching Eyvel and Nanna fight against gladiators set upon them by Raydrik. Veld fires lead to severe environmental degradation. Tey must have fre every 3-25 years in order for life to continue. Farmers are accustomed to preparing fire breaks in the dry season and burning old veld to stimulate the regrowth of grazing. [2] [12] 3.1. The National Veld and Forest Fire Act No 101 of 1998, (the Act), stipulates that every farmer or land owner has an obligation to prevent and fight veld fires. the known effects of the fire regime on grass and tree and shrub vegetation in African grasslands and savannas based on research results. Burning for Carbon Storage Benefits Acknowledgements Glossary Bibliography Biographical Sketch Summary Fire is a prevalent feature of most rangelands, whereas not all fire-prone ecosystems are rangelands. Fire prevention is the best option to minimise risks associated with veld fires. This can be achieved through establishment and maintenance of fireguards. Fireguards are designed to provide access and a safe environment for the firefighting teams to implement controlled burning and effectively manage wild fires. The advantages of the controlled burning of veld outweigh the disadvantages. it is important that veld fire mitigation programmes are made an integral part of the developmental programme. Firebreaks A firebreak is a strip of land where vegetation has been removed or modified to contain or to reduce the spread and intensity of any veld fire … Landowners living in areas that are prone to veld fires face three options when it comes to mitigating against veld fires. 1  It wiped out the town of Paradise and destroyed 18,804 structures. Research has also shown that frequent fires favour the abundance of productive and palatable grasses, such as Themeda triandra, in southern African grasslands. They can: • Solve it • Live with it • Minimise it Solving it is not possible More specifically, veld fires reduce land cover thus exposing the land to agents of accelerated soil erosion, changes in the hydrological cycle, … “In South Africa, almost all fires are carbon neutral, and in many areas more CO2 is actually being taken up by the veld than emitted, as the veld is becoming bush-encroached, partly due to less frequent and intense fires,” he explains. The ecological consequences of high-frequency fires have been listed as a key threatening process under the Biodiversity Conservation Act. Of all management options open to the game ranch manager, fire probably offers the most direct means of managing the veld (Tainton 1999). Out of 20 respondents, 4 (20%) felt that veld fires have led to property damage, 2 (10%) indicated that soil fertility has been affected, 5 (25%) said that the fires destroy vegetation, 2 (10%) indicated that they cause air pollution, 2 (10%) said that they pollute water sources, and 5 (25%) said that veld fires destroy wildlife . Give veld a full growing season’s rest once every three to five years to maintain vigour. Best for clearing areas. In general, fires reduce the pool of nutrients stored in organic matter, release a flush of plant available nutrients in the short term, and redistribute nutrients through the soil profile. Burning with the wind direction will produce very hot and fast moving fires, which are called “head-fires”. The major rangeland ecosystems at a global scale (savanna, grasslands, Improving the botanical composition of the veld through appropriate fire regimes and grazing management could thus be considered as valid reason for burning grassland in the future. Difficult to regulate spacing. The disadvantages of wildfires are that they can destoy homes, lives, and millions of acres of forest. The aftermath of a fire can sometimes be worse than the fire itself. Fires burn trees and plants that prevented erosion. Surface Fires. Without preventive measures, veldfires will continue to burn for as long as the weather is favourable and there is vegetation to burn. … It killed 85 civilians and injured several firefighters. Some are intentionally set by arsonists. The Eastern Cape provincial government warned residents in certain parts of the province on Monday (8/25) of strong winds and veld fires. Despite the damage that can occur to property and people, good things can come out of forest fires, too. and needles. Fire … 10.5. to accomplish certain planned benefits to one or more objectives of silviculture, wildlife management, grazing, hazard reduction, etc.” As such, this definition includes “controlled burning” as used in North America, “control burning” in Australia (Hodgson, 1968), “veld burning” Advantages of registered FPAs. The availability of nutrients, especially nitrogen, is increased after low intensity fires, yet, a portion of nitrogen and sulfur is lost to the air. All owners on whose land a veldfire may start or burn or from whose land it may spread must: prepare firebreaks on their side of the boundary if there is a reasonable risk of veldfire have such equipment, protective clothing and trained personnel for extinguishing fires as are: prescribed (in the regulations) These risks were highlighted once again last summer when large, uncontrolled veld fires swept through parts of the Boland, causing major and very expensive losses on some farms. Without periodic fire to clear this out, a naturally occurring fire may grow and move quickly, doing much more damage that a prescribed burn—and without its safety parameters. Three components are necessary to start a veld fire: oxygen, fuel and heat. 99 of 1987), have the power to enforce the Act. The 2015 fire season affected a total of 1, … Still, human fire activity is the primary cause of wildfires, with nearly ten times the start rate of natural starts. Forest fires are a natural and necessary part of the ecosystem. This will reduce potential accelerated erosion and disturbance to natural veld and forest. Plants that have adapted to an existing fire regime may die out and be replaced by plants that are better adapted to a new fire regime. Demonstrate methods of extinguishing flames. These risks were highlighted once again recently with the devastating fires in the Southern Cape and in California, USA, – when large, uncontrolled veld fires swept through areas causing massive large-scale destruction. What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Fires? The use of fire as a management tool requires that it be applied at the correct frequency (return interval), intensity (heat release), and spatial scale so that burned and unburned patches remain on the landscape. Vegetation that is burned by fre provides a rich source of nutrients that nourish remaining trees. Left unchecked, veld and forest fires can cause widespread destruction to property. More serious is however the risk posed to the human lives of those traversing in areas prone to veld and forest fires. These types of fires prevent future “crown fires” which can become very dangerous. Agricultural produce, farm equipment and livestock valued at $4 046 were also demolished last year. Forest fires are one of the causes of land degradation that lead to deforestation and desertification. This will also help in motivating other communities to replicate similar veld fire management projects in their areas and also give environmental education on the benefits of preventing veld fires from destroying forests, grazing areas and property. The third costliest fire also occurred in November. ... data are needed to inform policy makers and improve assessments of the risks and benefits of wildfire man agement. A wildfire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, unwanted, uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation starting in rural areas and urban areas. Demonstrate three different types of cooking fires in use and explain the advantages of each. Increase in the conservation benefit within the landscape due to the minimization of the number of firebreaks. A registered FPO, a forest officer,a police officer, and an officer appointed in terms of section 5 or 6 of the Fire Brigade Services Act, 1987 (Act No. fires used for hunting, improving grazing, early burning and or back burning to reduce the fuel load and negative impact of wild fires, creation of fire breaks, arson and smoking out bees during harvesting of References to an FPO in sections,27. Fire kills pests and keeps the forest healthy. This will also help in motivating other communities to replicate similar veld fire management projects in their areas and also give environmental education on the benefits of preventing veld fires from destroying forests, grazing areas and property.