Incidence of Social Ownership in the Determination of Burned Areas and Fire Severity in a Natural Protected Area in North-Central Mexico

Wildfires have either natural or anthropogenic origins and play a crucial role in shaping rural landscapes. However, they also pose one of the greatest threats to the conservation of natural protected areas. This study aimed to assess the impact of social land ownership using spatial monitoring to identify burned areas through Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery and evaluate fire severity in the “Sierra de San Miguelito” Protected Natural Protected Area in San Luis Potos., Mexico, 1 year after its official designation and following a significant wildfire in 2019. Remote sensing data from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (active fires) were analyzed before and after the fire, applying remote sensing techniques to determine the burned area extent, the severity of vegetation cover damage, and the distribution of agrarian communities within the study area. Additionally, greenhouse gas emissions were estimated based on fire severity levels. The results indicate that wildfires in the Natural Protected Area are not recurrent, with the 2019 event accounting for 92.34% of all detected hotspots, primarily occurring in April and May. Two burn scars were identified, covering a total of 12,735.42 hectares, representing 11.46% of the total Natural Protected Area. Additionally, 7672.64 hectares exhibited low fire susceptibility, with pine forests being the most affected vegetation type. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) was the primary greenhouse gas emitted, contributing 186,429.26 metric tons to total emissions. Notably, land tenure within the Sierra de San Miguelito-Natural Protected Area is predominantly composed of 46 Ejidos and a single Community, the latter registering the highest percentage of burned area at 29.27%. Furthermore, the largest percentage corresponds to social property (81%), with only the remaining 19% corresponding to other types of property. These findings provide a valuable precedent for wildfire monitoring and serve as essential input for developing integrated management strategies. Engaging local populations within the surrounding agrarian communities, alongside decision-makers, is key to implementing land-use planning programs based on landscape management approaches. Such strategies can help mitigate fire impacts and support biodiversity conservation within the Natural Protected Area.

Cite this article as: Perea-Ardila, M. A., Leija, E. G., Dominguez-Gutierrez, J., & Sahagun-Sanchez, F. J. (2026). Incidence of social ownership in the determination of burned areas and fire severity in a natural protected area in north-central Mexico. Forestist, 76, 0159, doi: 10.5152/forestist.2026.25159.