Review article: Understanding the placement of fire emissions from the Brazilian Cerrado biome in the atmospheric carbon budget

Estimating fire emissions in the Brazilian Cerrado requires a comprehensive approach, combining data, fire and vegetation modelling techniques, and policy. Although high quantities of global fire emissions come from the Cerrado, research in this area is still overlooked when compared to other savanna countries. This study systematically reviewed 69 papers on fire emissions from the Cerrado. The aim was to provide insights into the placement of the Cerrado in the atmospheric carbon budget and support improved estimation of the Biome’s carbon balance. Our review finds that, in the Cerrado, studies often focus on quantifying fire dynamics parameters and emissions, and that a holistic approach is required to estimate fire emissions, which is hindered due to the difficulty in valuing the qualitative aspects of fire. Evidence suggests a rise in interest in understanding fire emissions in the Cerrado, reflected in the increased number of studies throughout the years. More research is required to understand the aspects of fire dynamics in the Cerrado, how these reflect fire emissions locally and globally and potential mitigation activities. This could be achieved by including fire management representation in land surface models and using observational data to constrain and assess their utility.