Evolution of tropical montane forest fires in response to shifts in historical forest management, climate variability and land use changes.

Tropical montane forests have historically not been prone to large-scale forest fires as a result of their high humidity and rainfall. Yet, current increased frequencies and intensity of these fires are making them an increasingly pressing area of study, especially in the context of increasing climate variability and land use changes.  To understand present and future fire dynamics, it is, however, essential to look at the origins and factors behind trends in fire frequency and intensity. To explore this, long-term assessment of the dynamics of montane forest fire, and their relationships to anthropogenic and climate changes, are essential.

Such work has been largely lacking in montane ecosystems due to a paucity of available quantitative data, and a general perception that fire has played a minimal role in shaping biodiversity in these areas. Here we combine historical forest fire records and remote sensing to investigate the evolution and dynamics of montane forest fires in Kenya since the 1920s in response to changes in forest fire management, land use changes and climate variability.  We argue that historically, indigenous communities used their traditional knowledge and practices in managing local fires and limiting them to manageable intensities. However, the introduction of colonial rule shifted their role in forest management and ultimately their relationship in using fire within forest areas.

Our research and datasets highlight that changes in fire dynamics can be linked to extensive colonial prohibition of fire controls by traditional communities and the imposition of fines to deter their use. In addition, introduction of new fire sources through the development of the railway systems along forest areas, introduction of exotic tree species and largescale agricultural expansions exacerbated forest fire dynamics within the montane forests. Meanwhile, the colonial government introduced fire lines as a form of forest fire controls, which were meant as fire control measure and required sophisticated management plans, that were adopted in forest management.

We suggest that these changes have left legacies for contemporary fire issues as a loss of traditional fire management knowledge, smallholder relocation and land restrictions, and industrial pressures have accumulated to intensify fire risk in montane forest ecosystems. Looking into the future, we argue that, as with other regions of the latitudinal tropics, it is essential to understand traditional ecological knowledge and historical path dependencies in order to chart more effective and just conservation strategies including active use of fire and restoration of fire-resistant species.