[Spanish below]

I am thrilled to share my latest publication in the Journal of Rural Studies, co-authored with Karen A. Kainer, Rachel Carmenta, Bette Loiselle, and Ashley Cuellar. Our research explores the diverse perspectives on fire use and management among key actors in the Peruvian Andes, offering insights for more inclusive and effective fire governance.

🔥 Why does this matter?
Fire is an essential tool for subsistence agriculture in the tropics, but it also presents risks—especially as climate and ecological conditions change. Different stakeholders, from Quechua farmers to firefighters and policymakers, have varying perceptions of fire’s benefits and dangers. Understanding these perspectives is crucial for developing governance strategies that balance agricultural needs with environmental protection.

🔍 Key Findings:

• We identified two major perspectives on fire: one emphasizing its ecological risks, and another viewing fire as both a threat and a necessity in rural livelihoods.
• There are also three distinct views on effective fire management: top-down suppression, community-based suppression, and community-led fire management.
• Policy recommendations include legal recognition of controlled burns, strengthening volunteer fire brigades, and implementing multi-scale fire governance strategies.

📖 Read the full article—free to download for the first 50 days!
👉 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0743016725000506?dgcid=author

📌 Infographic in Spanish below!

---

Publicación reciente: Comprendiendo la gobernanza del fuego en los Andes peruanos

Me complace compartir nuestra última publicación en el Journal of Rural Studies, en coautoría con Karen A. Kainer, Rachel Carmenta, Bette Loiselle y Ashley Cuellar. Nuestro estudio analiza las diversas percepciones sobre el uso y manejo del fuego en los Andes peruanos, proporcionando información clave para desarrollar estrategias de gobernanza más inclusivas y efectivas.

🔥 ¿Por qué es importante?
El fuego es una herramienta esencial en la agricultura de subsistencia en los trópicos, pero también representa riesgos, especialmente con los cambios en el clima y la ecología. Diferentes actores—desde agricultores quechuas hasta bomberos y tomadores de decisiones—tienen percepciones distintas sobre sus beneficios y peligros. Comprender estas perspectivas es crucial para diseñar estrategias de gobernanza que equilibren las necesidades agrícolas con la protección ambiental.

🔍 Hallazgos clave:

• Identificamos dos perspectivas principales sobre el fuego: una que enfatiza sus riesgos ecológicos, y otra que lo ve tanto como una amenaza y una necesidad en los medios de vida rurales.
• También encontramos tres enfoques distintos sobre el manejo del fuego: supresión desde el gobierno, supresión comunitaria y manejo del fuego liderado por comunidades.
• Recomendaciones clave incluyen el reconocimiento legal de las quemas controladas, el fortalecimiento de brigadas comunitarias de bomberos y la implementación de estrategias de gobernanza del fuego a múltiples escalas.

📖 Lee el artículo completo—disponible gratuitamente por los primeros 50 días!
👉 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0743016725000506?dgcid=author

📌 Infografía en español a continuación!

I’m truly grateful and honored to have been selected as the 2024 recipient of the Marianne Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Award from UF’s Tropical Conservation and Development Program (TCD). This recognition is deeply meaningful, as TCD represents a unique academic space that bridges theory and practice to address critical challenges in biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource use, and human well-being in the tropics and beyond. I’m proud to be part of a community dedicated to impactful, interdisciplinary work.

Vanessa Luna Celino is the 2024 Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Award recipient!

El pasado miércoles 2 de octubre, tuve la oportunidad de ser entrevistada por el equipo de Cientificos.pe. Allí compartí algunos resultados de mi investigación doctoral y opiné sobre la actual situación en Perú de mayor incidencia de incendios forestales y algunas potenciales soluciones. En el siguiente video, la entrevista completa.

Científicos.pe es una organización civil sin fines de lucro que realiza y promueve actividades por la educación, ciencia, tecnología e innovación en el Perú.

Q methodology combines qualitative and quantitative techniques to study subjectivity. Using Q techniques, researchers are able to uncover and interpret shared views, perspectives, opinions, values, and beliefs (Brown, 1996). It provides a systematic and rigorous method for examining human subjectivity that helps identify and understand similarities and differences in individual positions through their ranking of a set of fixed statements (Addams & Proops, 2000; Brown, 1996; Dasgupta & Vira, 2005; Ramlo, 2016).

In April 2024, Silvia Futada (PhD student, SNRE) and I organized a workshop on Q methodology, where participants learned from the experiences of three UF researchers applying it in their doctoral projects: Dr. Sinomar Fonseca (SNRE), Dr. Felipe Veluk Gutierrez (SFFGS), and myself. Dr. Fonseca utilized Q methodology to assess local stakeholder perspectives regarding the free, prior, and informed consent processes related to significant infrastructure projects. Dr. Veluk employed this approach to gauge stakeholder attitudes towards Amazonian nut community-based initiatives and bioeconomy. Both Sinomar and Felipe conducted their research in the Brazilian Amazon. My research, on the other hand, utilized Q methodology to engage local stakeholders, including small-scale farmers, in discussions concerning the role of fire and its effective management in the Peruvian Andes.

Workshop participants sorting cards in a Q sort structure

During the workshop, we requested participants to form pairs and practice data collection of this method. One person gave instructions while the other sorted 23 statements (or actions) related to fire management -the same one I used in my doctoral research- into a grid. Participants acting as respondents sorted the statements in two stages. The first stage involved arranging the statements in three piles, considering the level of effectivity of each statement: most effective, least effective, and neutral. Next came the actual sorting, in which respondents considered how strongly they felt about each statement. They placed each one along a response grid or Q sort structure provided in the workshop. The Q sort resembled a normal distribution or bell curve, with most statements placed in the middle or neutral area and fewer at the extremes. Since respondents ranked statements relative to each other, they adhered to the prescribed Q sort structure when arranging the statements. The resulting Q sort or grid arrangement was entirely subjective, reflecting the respondent’s individual views or opinions.

Further data analysis involves correlation and factor analysis, with each Q sort serving as the unit of analysis. Unlike other methodologies that compare group responses, Q methodology assesses all collected Q sorts against each other. Pattern analysis identifies similar Q sorts, forming clusters representing shared views or subjectivity, leading to the emergence of factors representing commonly held viewpoints. Factor analysis then generates composite Q sorts for each factor, providing a representative arrangement of statements. These composite Q sorts, coupled with transcripts of participant interviews, yield detailed explanations of shared viewpoints. The process is reductive, beginning with numerous viewpoints and culminating in a concise selection of key perspectives. In the end, Q methodology does not provide generalizable results to an entire population because it relies on purposeful samples, but it does give an approximation of the diversity of viewpoints existing in a particular set of key actors.

Data collection with Q methodology in the Peruvian Andes

In my research on fire management, I conducted Q methodology with 56 stakeholders, including members of Quechua communities, firefighters, researchers, nonprofit organizations, protected areas, and government agents. Factor analysis revealed three distinct viewpoints on the role of fire, ranging from emphasizing the negative impacts of fire on ecosystem services (e.g., on biodiversity and climate change impacts) to acknowledging some of the benefits of fire for rural wellbeing (e.g., that agricultural burns open new farmland or fire as the most accessible way to work the farm). My research also found three viewpoints on effective fire management: top-down fire suppression, community-based fire suppression, and community-based fire management. Most government agents and firefighters, holding an emphasis on the negative impacts of escaped fires, advocated for the continuation of top-down fire suppression policies, whereas community members and other external actors with a more balanced perception of fire advocated for community-based actions, either suppression or management. Q methodology served as a tool to reflect on the need for fire governance in the Peruvian Andes that reconciles the different needs of various stakeholders, especially those of frontline fire users.

Literature cited

Addams, H., & Proops, J. L. (2000). Social discourse and environmental policy: an application of Q methodology (Vol. 16). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Brown, S. R. (1996). Q Methodology and Qualitative Research. Qualitative health research, 6(4), 561-567. https://doi.org/10.1177/104973239600600408

Dasgupta, P., & Vira, B. (2005). Q methodology for mapping stakeholder perceptions in participatory forest management. Annex B3 of the Final Technical Report of project, 8280.

Ramlo, S. (2016). Mixed Method Lessons Learned From 80 Years of Q Methodology. Journal of mixed methods research, 10(1), 28-45. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689815610998

Mi investigación doctoral se enfoca en el manejo del fuego comunitario y las percepciones de actores clave sobre la gobernanza del fuego en Perú. Mi investigación aporta a nuestra comprensión de la relación humano-fuego con enfoques teóricos y metodológicos de múltiples disciplinas (ecología, geografía, ciencias políticas y antropología). La investigación y el trabajo profesional sobre estos temas, únicos en el país, esperan contribuir a la formulación de políticas más adecuadas a la realidad y actividades de colaboración entre socios locales. En los últimos meses, he trabajando en la difusión de resultados con la filmación de un minidocumental sobre mi investigación y la organización de talleres y simposios participativos en noviembre de 2023. Estos esfuerzos fueron posibles gracias al premio Robin E. Nadeau de Investigación de Posgrado en Ecología de mi universidad.

Contexto y motivación de la investigación:

El fuego es una herramienta esencial en la agricultura tropical de subsistencia y es una forma tradicional, intergeneracional y barata de liberar nutrientes al suelo, controlar plagas y malezas, y preparar nuevas tierras de cultivo. Sin embargo, las quemas agrícolas y otras fuentes de ignición han afectado cada vez más los regímenes (frecuencia, intensidad, severidad y estacionalidad) de fuego en la mayoría de los ecosistemas tropicales. Algunas quemas agrícolas resultan en incendios forestales, especialmente cuando los fuertes vientos se combinan con las sequías. Los cambios simultáneos en el clima también acentúan el aumento de la frecuencia de los incendios forestales.

A nivel mundial, las sociedades han respondido a las amenazas del fuego con estrategias de supresión del fuego. Más recientemente, se ha hecho un llamamiento a favor de nuevas prácticas y paradigmas en la gestión del fuego: incorporación de conocimientos tradicionales de pueblos indígenas y locales, evitar la criminalización excesiva de prácticas relacionadas con el fuego y promoción de la gestión del fuego a nivel comunitario. La gobernanza del fuego implica que los responsables de la toma de decisiones se comprometan con los actores clave para determinar el papel social y ecológico del fuego y cómo gestionarlo. Comprender las percepciones de los actores clave es el primer paso en la gobernanza del fuego y se puede aplicar para comprender el contexto político, facilitar la comunicación y toma de decisiones transparentes, y gestionar los conflictos.

Específicamente, los Andes peruanos tienen una larga historia de fuego de origen antropogénico, que ha dado forma al paisaje andino durante milenios. En esta zona también el fuego es una herramienta agrícola importante en las comunidades locales y la forma más asequible de abrir tierras de cultivo y controlar la maleza y plagas indeseables. Sin embargo, al igual que en muchos otros países tropicales, las quemas agrícolas están prohibidas y constituyen un problema importante cuando no se controlan adecuadamente. También hay ejemplos interesantes de comunidades rurales que se autoorganizan y adaptan sus prácticas relacionadas con el fuego para obtener el máximo beneficio de sus quemas y reducir el riesgo de incendios forestales. Estas iniciativas de gestión del fuego desde las comunidades locales requieren el reconocimiento de múltiples actores involucrados en la toma de decisiones.

Comunicación científica para el cambio de políticas ambientales:

Para la fase de difusión y validación de mi proyecto doctoral, organicé y facilité dos talleres y dos simposios. En colaboración con la ONG, CEDES Apurímac, se organizaron dos talleres sobre “Manejo local del fuego en los Andes peruanos”, que estuvo dirigida a representantes del gobierno regional y local, bomberos voluntarios, comunidades locales e investigadores. Muchos de estos particiantes ya habian participado en fases anteriores de mi investigación. Un taller se llevó a cabo en la comunidad campesina de Kiuñalla y otro en la ciudad de Abancay.

Teniendo como punto de partida mis resultados, los participantes discutieron qué acciones se necesitaban para promover el manejo efectivo del fuego en los Andes peruanos. En general, estos talleres promovieron la reflexión sobre diversas estrategias como las brigadas comunitarias, la aplicación de sanciones legales a quienen originen incendios, las campañas de concientización, las quemas agrícolas controladas y el manejo del paisaje.

Los dos simposios estuvieron dirigidos a ~250 estudiantes de pregrado de las universidades: Universidad Tecnológica de los Andes (Abancay) y la Universidad Andina del Cusco. Ambos simposios tuvieron como objetivo promover el diálogo sobre el manejo del fuego en Perú. En la ciudad de Abancay, el simposio  “Prevención y control de incendios forestales en comunidades rurales” reunió a representantes del gobierno, organizaciones sin fines de lucro y comunidades campesinas para discutir los esfuerzos de los agricultores en el manejo comunitario del fuego. En la ciudad de Cusco, el simposio  “Investigación sobre incendios forestales y esfuerzos locales de prevención” reunió a investigadores, estudiantes y agentes regionales con el objetivo de promover más investigaciones sobre incendios forestales y acciones innovadoras relacionadas con los incendios forestales en Perú. Ambos simposios fueron gratuitos para los asistentes.

Reflexiones finales:

Los incendios forestales son un problema que afecta cada vez más a todos los rincones del mundo. El enfoque de mi investigación en la gobernanza y el manejo del fuego está intencionalmente orientado a ayudar a la toma de decisiones a través de un enfoque de manejo integrado y adaptativo del fuego. Esto contrasta con el énfasis predominante de supresión del fuego que se implementa actualmente en Perú. Mi principal objetivo como estudiante de doctorado ha sido promover el puente entre la investigación y la acción a través de la comunicación científica y los espacios de aprendizaje social sobre prácticas y políticas efectivas relacionadas con el fuego.

My doctoral research and practitioner work focuses on community-based fire management and stakeholders’ perceptions of fire governance in Peru, my home country. My research advances our understanding of the human-fire relationship by bringing theoretical and methodological approaches from multiple disciplines (ecology, geography, political sciences, and anthropology). Research and practitioner work on these issues, which are unique for the country, expect to contribute to policy-making through crucial scholarship and collaborative activities with local partners. In my last in the Ph.D. program, I have been working on results dissemination by elaborating peer-reviewed scientific papers and science communication efforts. The latter included the filming of a short documentary about my research (see below), and participatory workshops and symposia in November 2023. These efforts were possible thanks to the SNRE’s Robin E. Nadeau Ecology Graduate Research Award.

Research context and motivation:

Fire is an essential tool in tropical subsistence agriculture and is a traditional, intergenerational, and cash-free way of releasing nutrients, controlling pests and weeds, and preparing new farmland. However, agricultural burns and other ignition sources have increasingly affected fire regimes -frequency, intensity, severity, and seasonality- in most tropical ecosystems. Some agricultural burns result in accidental or escaped fires, where secondary outbreaks unintentionally affect surrounding areas, especially when strong winds are combined with droughts. Concurrent changes in global and regional climate also accentuate the increase in fire frequency.

Globally, societies have responded to escaped fire threats with some degree of fire suppression and prevention strategies. More recently, there has been a call for new practices and paradigms on fire management: a call that incorporates traditional ecological knowledge from indigenous and local peoples, avoids the overcriminalization of fire-related practices, and promotes bottom-up fire management. Fire governance involves decision-makers engaging with key actors to determine fire’s social and ecological role and how to manage fire. Understanding key actors’ perceptions is the first step in fire governance and can be applied to understand policy context, facilitate communication and transparent decision-making, and manage conflicts.

Specifically, the Peruvian Andes has a long history of anthropogenic fires, which have shaped the natural landscape over millennia. Here, too, fire is an important agricultural tool in local communities and the most affordable way to open farmlands and control undesirable vegetation and pests. However, as in many other tropical countries, agricultural burns are prohibited and are a significant problem when not adequately controlled. There are also interesting examples of local communities self-organizing and adapting their fire-related practices to get the most benefit from their burns and reduce wildfire risk. Yet, bottom-up fire management initiatives require the recognition of multiple actors involved in decision-making on fire-related policies.

Science communication for environmental policy change:

For the dissemination and validation phase of my doctoral project, I organized and facilitated two workshops and two symposia. In collaboration with a local nonprofit organization, CEDES Apurimac, the organization of two workshops on ‘Locally-based fire management in the Peruvian Andes,’ targeted local stakeholders representing the regional and local government, nonprofit organizations, volunteer firefighters, local communities, and researchers, many of whom participated in previous phases of my doctoral research. One workshop was held in Kiuñalla campesino community and another in Abancay City.

Having my doctoral results as a starting point of discussion, participants discussed what actions were needed to promote effective fire governance in the Peruvian Andes. Overall, these workshops promoted the reflection on various current and potential fire management strategies, such as community brigades, law enforcement, fire awareness campaigns, safe agricultural burns, and landscape management.

The two symposia targeted ~250 undergraduate students from local universities in the regions where my research was conducted and aimed to promote the dialogue on fire management in Peru. In Abancay City, the symposium ‘Prevention and control of wildfires from rural communities’ brought together representatives of government, non-profit organizations, and campesino communities to discuss farmers’ efforts in community-based fire management. In Cusco city, the symposium ‘Research on wildfires and local prevention efforts,’ brought together fire researchers and regional practitioners with the aim to promote more wildfire research and innovative fire-related actions in Peru. Both symposia were free of charge for any attendee.

Final reflections:

Wildfires are an issue increasingly affecting every corner of the world. The focus of my research and practitioner efforts in fire governance and management is intentionally geared toward aiding decision-making through an integrated and adaptive approach to fire management. This stands in contrast to the prevailing emphasis on wildfire suppression and prevention strategies currently implemented in Peru. My main goal as a doctoral student has been to promote the bridge between research and action through science communication and spaces of social learning on effective fire-related practices and policies.