Effects of wildfires on freshwater biota and aquatic fuel phenology: a bibliometric overview

ABSTRACT

Driven by climate change, wildfires increase in intensity and frequency, altering physical and chemical parameters of water and influencing the conservation of riparian habitats. Also, impacts on hydrophilic flora have been addressed from various perspectives, lacking a unified conceptual framework. These issues, through a literature review, have been tackled by our research that depicts the available knowledge on the impacts of wildfires on freshwater biota. In addition, we provide a theoretical framework of the most studied topics. Four research trends were identified as having the largest body of literature: (i) hydrological, hydrometeorological, and biogeochemical cycles; (ii) geomorphological changes, habitat structure, and connectivity; (iii) water quality and pollutant mobilization; and (iv) responses of biotic communities at different trophic levels. Main findings are that biological impacts such as nutrient/sediment export, channel morphology modifications, and thermic stress lead to reduced locomotor activity. Moreover, changes in oxygen levels and alterations in food webs are significant. Significant gaps regarding underground fires, spread patterns, and architecture of hydrophytic/helophytic vegetation have been recognized. The central future projection is to create comprehensive predictive models considering the great importance of the aquatic-vegetation fuel phenology, via multiscale remote sensing, coupling watershed, and fire simulations.