The effect of adjacent vegetation on fire severity in Afrotemperate forest along the southern Cape coast of South Africa

Recently two large wildfires (around the towns of Knysna in 2017 and George 2018) jointly burnt over 80 000 ha southern Cape, South Africa. Here, patches closed-canopy Afrotemperate forest occur within a matrix fire-prone (native) fynbos shrublands or adjacent to commercial plantations invasive alien Pinus trees (a transformed state). We compared distances that fire penetrated into margins those plantations. Furthermore, we used satellite-derived index severity, differenced Normalised Burn Ratio (dNBR), compare severity Results were inconsistent between fires. In fire, no significant difference was noted penetration forest, while at significantly lower than fynbos. greater Not only with dissimilar fires, but variability plantation adjacent. Our study provides evidence is associated vegetation type potentially expose forests extent may experience under natural conditions. Other important factors affect burn are patch size topographical position, nature ecotone vegetation, fuel load structure which varies considerably relation stand age management practices