The temporal trajectories and driving forces of wildfire regimes differing between wildland–cropland and wildland–urban interfaces on the Central Yunnan Plateau

Abstract

As human activities continue to extend into wildland areas, wildfire risk in wildland–urban interfaces (WUI) has drawn considerable attention. By contrast, the wildland–cropland interface (WCI) has been less examined, and few studies have compared the spatiotemporal patterns and driving forces of wildfire between these two types of interfaces. Based on Landsat data from 1990 to 2023, we identified WCI and WUI landscapes on the Central Yunnan Plateau in southwestern China, and compared their fire regimes and associated factors at multiple spatial scales. Specifically, we quantified changes in burned area, burned-area percentage, seasonal fire patterns, and the relative importance of the two interface types. The results indicate a clear turning point around 2010. Before 2010, burned area increased in both interfaces. After 2010, both burned area in the WCI and its share of total burned area declined markedly, whereas the share of the WUI remained stable. Concurrently, the fire regime shifted from winter-spring dominance toward greater summer extension, with spring burned area in WUI increasing after 2000. Climate factors dominated fire variability in both interfaces: temperature primarily controlled fire occurrence, whereas relative humidity governed burned-area percentage. Beyond this shared climatic background, fire occurrence in the WCI was more strongly associated with population density, whereas fire occurrence in the WUI was more constrained by topographic relief. Burned-area percentage in the WCI exhibited a climate-dominated pattern, whereas that in the WUI was jointly influenced by coniferous forest proportion and population density. By comparing WCI and WUI fire regime attributes over more than three decades, this study shows that the two interfaces have distinct fire regimes and require differentiated management. Around 2010, wildfire activity on the Central Yunnan Plateau reached a turning point, with a marked decline in WCI burned area and relatively persistent WUI fire activity, mainly shaped by fuel continuity and population exposure. Fire management in the WCI should prioritize regulating the timing and conditions of agricultural burning, particularly by restricting burning during high-risk periods and strengthening seasonal monitoring. WUI management should emphasize fuel reduction, control of coniferous fuel continuity, community preparedness and risk mitigation measures, especially in mountainous areas. These findings highlight the need for interface-specific wildfire management and provide practical guidance for reducing fire risk across WCI and WUI landscapes on the Central Yunnan Plateau.