Burning patterns in Amazonian canga landscapes: diverging drivers of fire occurrence and intensity

Background Understanding the drivers and spatial–temporal patterns of fire in Amazonian ecosystems is essential for biodiversity conservation and land management, particularly in canga landscapes – diverse, ironstone-associated regions increasingly threatened by climate change and mining. Aims We investigated fire regimes over 33 years in two canga landscapes in the eastern Amazon, assessing the influence of land-use history, protection status, and climatic severity on fire occurrence and intensity. Methods Using Landsat imagery (1989–2021), we mapped annual fire scars in the Carajás National Forest (CNF, protected since 1989) and the Campos Ferruginosos National Park (CFNP, protected since 2017), employing spectral mixture analysis and the DEGRADI index. Fire regimes were analysed against precipitation, deforestation, and temporal patterns using hurdle regression models. Key results Fire regimes differed sharply: 88% of CFNP burned at least once, mainly in forests, while only 4.5% of CNF burned, mostly in cangas. After a decrease after 2008 in CFNP, fire activity increased in both areas after 2016. Fire occurrence was linked to land-use history, not climate or deforestation, while intensity correlated with dry-season rainfall. Conclusions Fire dynamics in Amazonian cangas are shaped by distinct mechanisms. Effective conservation requires integrated strategies, including ignition control, monitoring, and local fire brigades – even within protected areas.