Historical trajectories and current perspectives on Sub-Saharan wildland fire science and management in select scientific literature

Authors: McGranahan, Devan; KIRKMAN, KEVIN - University Of Kwazulu-Natal

Submitted to: African Journal of Range & Forage Science
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/29/2024
Publication Date: 2/27/2025
Citation: Mcgranahan, D.A., Kirkman, K.P. 2025. Historical trajectories and current perspectives on Sub-Saharan wildland fire science and management in select scientific literature. African Journal of Range & Forage Science. 42(1):1-11. https://doi.org/10.2989/10220119.2024.2424529.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2989/10220119.2024.2424529

Interpretive Summary: We track the history of fire research in sub-Saharan Africa through the analysis of important literature from the last century, including a systematic review of peer-reviewed fire literature published by the Grassland Society of Southern Africa over the last six decades. Trends in fire science in Africa align well with the evolution of ecology as a global scientific discipline, and we highlight evidence for transitions between the eras of understanding as they are reflected in contemporary publications.

Technical Abstract: Fire has long been a fixture on African landscapes to which ecosystems, wildlife, and peoples have adapted. Not surprisingly, wildland fire science in Africa has also undergone substantial evolution. Three broad eras of wildland fire science and management in Sub-Saharan Africa have been described: An imperial period associated with European colonialism; an empirical period, during which fire research became more rigorous but remained reluctant to accept the role of humans; and an increasingly inclusive period, in which human dimensions of fire regimes are recognised and fire is understood to be part of complex landscape dynamics. Here we review the history of fire research in sub-Saharan Africa through an analysis of important literature from the last century, including a systematic review of peer-reviewed fire literature published by the Grassland Society of Southern Africa over the last six decades. We also highlight two important projects from the mid-20th century: the 1972 Proceedings of the 11th Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference in Tallahassee, Florida, USA—titled Fire in Africa—and the products of the South African programme on the Ecological Effects of Fire in South African Ecosystems. We found that trends in fire science in Africa align well with the evolution of ecology as a global scientific discipline. We highlight evidence for transitions between the eras of understanding as they are reflected in contemporary publications, and critically analyse important contributions from South African publications. The empirical tradition of fire research is particularly strong in South Africa, but several colonial assumptions and Western scientific norms have persisted even as the interactions between wildland fire and human livelihoods are increasingly evident. The Grassland Society of Southern Africa, in particular, has an opportunity to be an increasingly inclusive source for the exchange of fire knowledge from both social and ecological perspectives.