Trends in fire characteristics in the partially vegetated dunes of the southwest Kalahari Desert

Journal article

Fire is often cited as a major disturbance that can induce increased aeolian activity on vegetated sand dunes due to the removal of protective plant cover. This study investigated the spatial and temporal dimensions of burning as an agent of disturbance in partially vegetated linear dunes in the southwest Kalahari. The region is often omitted as a burn-prone area in continental and global burned area studies due to its aridity and proximity to intense temperate zone fires. The MODIS burned area product was used to create an inventory of burned area from 2000 to 2023 to identify trends in burned area extent and occurrence. In addition, MODIS-derived Soil Adjusted Total Vegetation Index (SATVI) was used to calculate vegetation recovery post-burn. 13,310 km² of the southwest Kalahari dune field burned over the 24-year study period; 11.1 % of the total area. The land management regime significantly impacted on fire frequency (p < 0.001) and size (p < 0.001), with more burns occurring on privately owned land but larger burns within the Kgalagadi National Park. It also significantly affected burn duration (p < 0.001), with the National Park having longer lasting burns. Vegetation recovery is swift after burning, with cover returning to control levels within about two years of being burned. This study highlights how the temporal and spatial disturbance effect of the fire is limited by land management in the study region and rapid vegetation recovery post-burn.

Authors: Huck, RA; Wiggs, GFS; Thomas, DSG

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Journal: Science of the Total Environment
• Volume: 1014
• Article number: 181324
• Publication date: 2026-01-12
• Acceptance date: 2025-12-28
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181324
• EISSN: 1879-1026
• ISSN: 0048-9697
• Language: English
• Keywords: landscape fire; disturbance; sand dunes; land use; Kalahari