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Pyrogeography, historical ecology, and the human dimensions of fire regimes

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-22, 02:26 authored by Roos, C, David BowmanDavid Bowman, Balch, JK, Artaxo, P, Bond, WJ, Cochrane, M, D'Antonio, CM, DeFries, R, Mack, M, Fay JohnstonFay Johnston, Krawchuk, MA, Kull, CA, Moritz, MA, Pyne, S, Scott, AC, Swetnam, TW
In our 2011 synthesis (Bowman et al., Journal of Biogeography, 2011, 38, 2223–2236), we argued for a holistic approach to human issues in fire science that we term ‘pyrogeography’. Coughlan & Petty (Journal of Biogeography, 2013, 40, 1010–1012) critiqued our paper on the grounds that our ‘pyric phase’ model was built on outdated views of cultural development, claiming we developed it to be the unifying explanatory framework for all human–fire sciences. Rather, they suggest that ‘historical ecology’ could provide such a framework. We used the ‘pyric transition’ for multiple purposes but did not offer it as an exclusive explanatory framework for pyrogeography. Although ‘historical ecology’ is one of many useful approaches to studying human–fire relationships, scholars should also look to political and evolutionary ecology, ecosystems and complexity theories, as well as empirical generalizations to build an interdisciplinary fire science that incorporates human, ecological and biophysical dimensions of fire regimes.

Funding

Australian Research Council

Department of Health Western Australia

Department of Health and Human Services Tasmania

Department of Parks and Wildlife (Western Australia)

Department of Tourism, Arts and the Environment

NSW Department of Health

Tasmania Fire Service

History

Publication title

Journal of Biogeography

Volume

41

Issue

4

Pagination

833-836

ISSN

0305-0270

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Place of publication

9600 Garsington Rd, Oxford, England, Oxon, Ox4 2Dg

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Public health (excl. specific population health) not elsewhere classified

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