Argentina: Improving the National Wildland Fire Statistics of Argentina (IFFN No. 9 – July 1993)
Improving the National Wildland Fire Statistics of Argentina
(IFFN No. 9 – July 1993, p. 6-7)
Argentinian wildland fire statistics in the past years were systematically collected by the former Instituto Nacional Forestal (IFONA). After the reorganization of the national forestry authorities this task will now be continued by the Secretaria de Agricultura, Ganaderia y Pesca, Dirección de Producción Forestal (Ministry of Economics, Works, and Public Services). Since it has been recognized that these wildland fire statistics are not complete, the Ministry of Agriculture, in close cooperation with the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (Germany), Fire Ecology Research Group, has now started a new initiative to collect more reliable data in the agricultural sector. In 1993 a nationwide enquiry was launched among the members of the Rangeland Owners Association of Argentina. The objective of this enquiry is to obtain information on burning practices (reasons for rangeland burning, seasonality, extent of burning, etc.). The evaluation of the data will be carried out by Omar Tesolin and Hugo Zucchini, and J.G.Goldammer.
Tab.1. Summary of land areas affected by wildfires in Argentina, 1985-90.
The statistics were compiled by Mr.Omar Tesolin, at the former Instituto National Forestal (IFONA).
* The 1990 data are incomplete.
Fig.1. Fire history research in the Andino-Patagonian Nothofagus forests: Paul Cwielong (left) and Norberto Rodriguez recovering charcoal from ancient forest fires embedded in a river bank, South of El Bolsón. This research is in cooperation with the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Germany (Photo: J.G.Goldammer).
Contact for Argentina’s fire statistics is:
Omar Tesolin
Secretaria de Agricultura, Ganaderia y Pesca
Dirección de Producción Forestal
Av. Paseo Colón 982
ARG – 1063 Buenos Aires
Fax: (++54) 1-362-4803
