Assessing the Role of Forest Grazing in Reducing Fire Severity: A Mitigation Strategy

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report (Previous Reviewer 3)

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1. Lines 1.22-47: The abstract is not sufficiently concise and fails to summarize the main content, significance, and limitations of the article.
2. Keywords: Please add three more keywords.
3. The font and format of this article do not meet the journal's requirements. Please make the necessary adjustments.
4. The quality of Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5 is poor. Please improve them.
5. Add a discussion section, which should extensively compare and analyze the findings of other similar studies, elaborate on the similarities and differences between this study and existing research, as well as the contributions and implications of this study for academic or practical fields.
6. The conclusion is not concise enough and does not summarize the main content and research findings.

Author Response

• First referee:

 

1. Lines 1.22-47: The abstract is not sufficiently concise and fails to summarize the main content, significance, and limitations of the article.

 

1. ANSWER:

 

Here is a more concise version of the abstract, while also summarizing the main content, significance, and limitation of our article.

 

This study investigates the role of prescribed grazing as a sustainable fire prevention strategy in Mediterranean ecosystems, with a focus on Sardinia, an area highly susceptible to wildfires. Using FlamMap simulation software, we modeled fire behavior across various grazing and environmental conditions to assess the impact of grazing on fire severity indicators such as flame length, rate of spread, and fireline intensity. Results demonstrate that grazing can reduce fire severity by decreasing combustible biomass, achieving reductions of 25.9% in fire extent in wet years, 60.9% in median years, and 45.8% in dry years. Grazed areas exhibited significantly lower fire intensity, particularly under high canopy cover. These findings support the integration of grazing into fire management policies, highlighting its efficacy as a nature-based solution. However, the study’s scope is limited to small biomass fuels (1-h fuels); future research should extend to larger fuel classes to enhance the generalizability of prescribed grazing as a fire mitigation tool.

 

 

 

1. Keywords: Please add three more keywords.

 

Keywords: preventive management; forest-grazed pastures; fire severity are added: FlamMap, Nature Based Solutions (NBS), Fuel model

 

ANSWER:

 

1. The font and format of this article do not meet the journal's requirements. Please make the necessary adjustments.

 

ANSWER:

The academic editor stated that the font and format of the article are acceptable for this stage of editing. Figures and translations have been addressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The quality of Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5 is poor. Please improve them.

 

ANSWER:

            Figures 1,2,4 and 5 have been slightly altered and improved.

 

1. Add a discussion section, which should extensively compare and analyze the findings of other similar studies, elaborate on the similarities and differences between this study and existing research, as well as the contributions and implications of this study for academic or practical fields.

 

ANSWER:

The authors of the article used the free format that Fire magazine accepts and the Managing Editor was also asked. Therefore, it was chosen to combine results and discussion in a single paragraph as required by the rules found on the site ( https://www.mdpi.com/journal/fire/instructions).

The article does not change its structure but the following has been added at the end:

This study aligns with existing research on grazing as an effective wildfire mitigation tool in Mediterranean environments, supporting findings by Lovreglio et al. (2014) and Rouet‐Leduc et al. (2021) that highlight grazing’s role in reducing fine fuel loads and lowering wildfire intensity. Like previous studies, including Vrahnakis et al. (2023), our research demonstrates that combining grazing with other vegetation management practices, such as thinning and controlled burning, can be highly effective in managing wildfire risk by reducing vegetation height and biomass. Additionally, projects like the LIFE Montserrat and GrazeLIFE showcase how grazing contributes to biodiversity and ecological resilience by maintaining open habitats and interrupting fuel continuity, which aligns with our findings in Sardinia that grazed, high-canopy areas exhibit reduced fire behavior. Our study adds to these insights by uniquely examining grazing’s effectiveness across variable climatic conditions, revealing that grazing’s benefits vary significantly with rainfall-driven biomass fluctuations. This aligns with Batcheler (2024), who observed that livestock consumption is highly responsive to annual vegetation growth, suggesting that grazing strategies could be adapted dynamically based on yearly climate conditions. Furthermore, unlike other studies that focus on open or scrubland ecosystems, our findings on the influence of canopy cover density highlight that shaded, high-canopy areas benefit more from grazing due to combined effects on microclimate and fuel reduction.

 

1. The conclusion is not concise enough and does not summarize the main content and research findings

 

ANSWER:

We tried to summarize the conclusions like this but in our opinion the previous version was more complete and clear. We leave the choice to the referees

The National Forest Strategy (NFS) in Italy emphasizes proactive fire prevention through integrated, large-scale forest management, with a focus on agro-silvo-pastoral practices like prescribed grazing. Grazing, deeply rooted in Mediterranean landscapes, is recognized as a Nature-Based Solution (NBS) that reduces fuel loads and mitigates socio-ecological vulnerabilities. Our study in Sardinia demonstrates that grazing significantly lowers wildfire risk, reducing flame length, rate of spread, and intensity by 41%, 54%, and 68%, respectively. This confirms grazing as an effective, sustainable tool for wildfire prevention when strategically managed. Although this research focuses on smaller fuel loads (1-h fuels), future studies should explore its impact on larger fuels (10-h and 100-h) to provide a fuller understanding of grazing’s role in Mediterranean fire management and resilience.

• First referee:

 

1. Lines 1.22-47: The abstract is not sufficiently concise and fails to summarize the main content, significance, and limitations of the article.

 

1. ANSWER:

 

Here is a more concise version of the abstract, while also summarizing the main content, significance, and limitation of our article.

 

This study investigates the role of prescribed grazing as a sustainable fire prevention strategy in Mediterranean ecosystems, with a focus on Sardinia, an area highly susceptible to wildfires. Using FlamMap simulation software, we modeled fire behavior across various grazing and environmental conditions to assess the impact of grazing on fire severity indicators such as flame length, rate of spread, and fireline intensity. Results demonstrate that grazing can reduce fire severity by decreasing combustible biomass, achieving reductions of 25.9% in fire extent in wet years, 60.9% in median years, and 45.8% in dry years. Grazed areas exhibited significantly lower fire intensity, particularly under high canopy cover. These findings support the integration of grazing into fire management policies, highlighting its efficacy as a nature-based solution. However, the study’s scope is limited to small biomass fuels (1-h fuels); future research should extend to larger fuel classes to enhance the generalizability of prescribed grazing as a fire mitigation tool.

 

 

 

1. Keywords: Please add three more keywords.

 

Keywords: preventive management; forest-grazed pastures; fire severity are added: FlamMap, Nature Based Solutions (NBS), Fuel model

 

ANSWER:

 

1. The font and format of this article do not meet the journal's requirements. Please make the necessary adjustments.

 

ANSWER:

The academic editor stated that the font and format of the article are acceptable for this stage of editing. Figures and translations have been addressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The quality of Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5 is poor. Please improve them.

 

ANSWER:

            Figures 1,2,4 and 5 have been slightly altered and improved.

 

1. Add a discussion section, which should extensively compare and analyze the findings of other similar studies, elaborate on the similarities and differences between this study and existing research, as well as the contributions and implications of this study for academic or practical fields.

 

ANSWER:

The authors of the article used the free format that Fire magazine accepts and the Managing Editor was also asked. Therefore, it was chosen to combine results and discussion in a single paragraph as required by the rules found on the site ( https://www.mdpi.com/journal/fire/instructions).

The article does not change its structure but the following has been added at the end:

This study aligns with existing research on grazing as an effective wildfire mitigation tool in Mediterranean environments, supporting findings by Lovreglio et al. (2014) and Rouet‐Leduc et al. (2021) that highlight grazing’s role in reducing fine fuel loads and lowering wildfire intensity. Like previous studies, including Vrahnakis et al. (2023), our research demonstrates that combining grazing with other vegetation management practices, such as thinning and controlled burning, can be highly effective in managing wildfire risk by reducing vegetation height and biomass. Additionally, projects like the LIFE Montserrat and GrazeLIFE showcase how grazing contributes to biodiversity and ecological resilience by maintaining open habitats and interrupting fuel continuity, which aligns with our findings in Sardinia that grazed, high-canopy areas exhibit reduced fire behavior. Our study adds to these insights by uniquely examining grazing’s effectiveness across variable climatic conditions, revealing that grazing’s benefits vary significantly with rainfall-driven biomass fluctuations. This aligns with Batcheler (2024), who observed that livestock consumption is highly responsive to annual vegetation growth, suggesting that grazing strategies could be adapted dynamically based on yearly climate conditions. Furthermore, unlike other studies that focus on open or scrubland ecosystems, our findings on the influence of canopy cover density highlight that shaded, high-canopy areas benefit more from grazing due to combined effects on microclimate and fuel reduction.

 

1. The conclusion is not concise enough and does not summarize the main content and research findings

 

ANSWER:

We tried to summarize the conclusions like this but in our opinion the previous version was more complete and clear. We leave the choice to the referees

The National Forest Strategy (NFS) in Italy emphasizes proactive fire prevention through integrated, large-scale forest management, with a focus on agro-silvo-pastoral practices like prescribed grazing. Grazing, deeply rooted in Mediterranean landscapes, is recognized as a Nature-Based Solution (NBS) that reduces fuel loads and mitigates socio-ecological vulnerabilities. Our study in Sardinia demonstrates that grazing significantly lowers wildfire risk, reducing flame length, rate of spread, and intensity by 41%, 54%, and 68%, respectively. This confirms grazing as an effective, sustainable tool for wildfire prevention when strategically managed. Although this research focuses on smaller fuel loads (1-h fuels), future studies should explore its impact on larger fuels (10-h and 100-h) to provide a fuller understanding of grazing’s role in Mediterranean fire management and resilience.

• First referee:

 

1. Lines 1.22-47: The abstract is not sufficiently concise and fails to summarize the main content, significance, and limitations of the article.

 

1. ANSWER:

 

Here is a more concise version of the abstract, while also summarizing the main content, significance, and limitation of our article.

 

This study investigates the role of prescribed grazing as a sustainable fire prevention strategy in Mediterranean ecosystems, with a focus on Sardinia, an area highly susceptible to wildfires. Using FlamMap simulation software, we modeled fire behavior across various grazing and environmental conditions to assess the impact of grazing on fire severity indicators such as flame length, rate of spread, and fireline intensity. Results demonstrate that grazing can reduce fire severity by decreasing combustible biomass, achieving reductions of 25.9% in fire extent in wet years, 60.9% in median years, and 45.8% in dry years. Grazed areas exhibited significantly lower fire intensity, particularly under high canopy cover. These findings support the integration of grazing into fire management policies, highlighting its efficacy as a nature-based solution. However, the study’s scope is limited to small biomass fuels (1-h fuels); future research should extend to larger fuel classes to enhance the generalizability of prescribed grazing as a fire mitigation tool.

 

 

 

1. Keywords: Please add three more keywords.

 

Keywords: preventive management; forest-grazed pastures; fire severity are added: FlamMap, Nature Based Solutions (NBS), Fuel model

 

ANSWER:

 

1. The font and format of this article do not meet the journal's requirements. Please make the necessary adjustments.

 

ANSWER:

The academic editor stated that the font and format of the article are acceptable for this stage of editing. Figures and translations have been addressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The quality of Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5 is poor. Please improve them.

 

ANSWER:

            Figures 1,2,4 and 5 have been slightly altered and improved.

 

1. Add a discussion section, which should extensively compare and analyze the findings of other similar studies, elaborate on the similarities and differences between this study and existing research, as well as the contributions and implications of this study for academic or practical fields.

 

ANSWER:

The authors of the article used the free format that Fire magazine accepts and the Managing Editor was also asked. Therefore, it was chosen to combine results and discussion in a single paragraph as required by the rules found on the site ( https://www.mdpi.com/journal/fire/instructions).

The article does not change its structure but the following has been added at the end:

This study aligns with existing research on grazing as an effective wildfire mitigation tool in Mediterranean environments, supporting findings by Lovreglio et al. (2014) and Rouet‐Leduc et al. (2021) that highlight grazing’s role in reducing fine fuel loads and lowering wildfire intensity. Like previous studies, including Vrahnakis et al. (2023), our research demonstrates that combining grazing with other vegetation management practices, such as thinning and controlled burning, can be highly effective in managing wildfire risk by reducing vegetation height and biomass. Additionally, projects like the LIFE Montserrat and GrazeLIFE showcase how grazing contributes to biodiversity and ecological resilience by maintaining open habitats and interrupting fuel continuity, which aligns with our findings in Sardinia that grazed, high-canopy areas exhibit reduced fire behavior. Our study adds to these insights by uniquely examining grazing’s effectiveness across variable climatic conditions, revealing that grazing’s benefits vary significantly with rainfall-driven biomass fluctuations. This aligns with Batcheler (2024), who observed that livestock consumption is highly responsive to annual vegetation growth, suggesting that grazing strategies could be adapted dynamically based on yearly climate conditions. Furthermore, unlike other studies that focus on open or scrubland ecosystems, our findings on the influence of canopy cover density highlight that shaded, high-canopy areas benefit more from grazing due to combined effects on microclimate and fuel reduction.

 

1. The conclusion is not concise enough and does not summarize the main content and research findings

 

ANSWER:

We tried to summarize the conclusions like this but in our opinion the previous version was more complete and clear. We leave the choice to the referees

The National Forest Strategy (NFS) in Italy emphasizes proactive fire prevention through integrated, large-scale forest management, with a focus on agro-silvo-pastoral practices like prescribed grazing. Grazing, deeply rooted in Mediterranean landscapes, is recognized as a Nature-Based Solution (NBS) that reduces fuel loads and mitigates socio-ecological vulnerabilities. Our study in Sardinia demonstrates that grazing significantly lowers wildfire risk, reducing flame length, rate of spread, and intensity by 41%, 54%, and 68%, respectively. This confirms grazing as an effective, sustainable tool for wildfire prevention when strategically managed. Although this research focuses on smaller fuel loads (1-h fuels), future studies should explore its impact on larger fuels (10-h and 100-h) to provide a fuller understanding of grazing’s role in Mediterranean fire management and resilience.

• First referee:

 

1. Lines 1.22-47: The abstract is not sufficiently concise and fails to summarize the main content, significance, and limitations of the article.

 

1. ANSWER:

 

Here is a more concise version of the abstract, while also summarizing the main content, significance, and limitation of our article.

 

This study investigates the role of prescribed grazing as a sustainable fire prevention strategy in Mediterranean ecosystems, with a focus on Sardinia, an area highly susceptible to wildfires. Using FlamMap simulation software, we modeled fire behavior across various grazing and environmental conditions to assess the impact of grazing on fire severity indicators such as flame length, rate of spread, and fireline intensity. Results demonstrate that grazing can reduce fire severity by decreasing combustible biomass, achieving reductions of 25.9% in fire extent in wet years, 60.9% in median years, and 45.8% in dry years. Grazed areas exhibited significantly lower fire intensity, particularly under high canopy cover. These findings support the integration of grazing into fire management policies, highlighting its efficacy as a nature-based solution. However, the study’s scope is limited to small biomass fuels (1-h fuels); future research should extend to larger fuel classes to enhance the generalizability of prescribed grazing as a fire mitigation tool.

 

 

 

1. Keywords: Please add three more keywords.

 

Keywords: preventive management; forest-grazed pastures; fire severity are added: FlamMap, Nature Based Solutions (NBS), Fuel model

 

ANSWER:

 

1. The font and format of this article do not meet the journal's requirements. Please make the necessary adjustments.

 

ANSWER:

The academic editor stated that the font and format of the article are acceptable for this stage of editing. Figures and translations have been addressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The quality of Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5 is poor. Please improve them.

 

ANSWER:

            Figures 1,2,4 and 5 have been slightly altered and improved.

 

1. Add a discussion section, which should extensively compare and analyze the findings of other similar studies, elaborate on the similarities and differences between this study and existing research, as well as the contributions and implications of this study for academic or practical fields.

 

ANSWER:

The authors of the article used the free format that Fire magazine accepts and the Managing Editor was also asked. Therefore, it was chosen to combine results and discussion in a single paragraph as required by the rules found on the site ( https://www.mdpi.com/journal/fire/instructions).

The article does not change its structure but the following has been added at the end:

This study aligns with existing research on grazing as an effective wildfire mitigation tool in Mediterranean environments, supporting findings by Lovreglio et al. (2014) and Rouet‐Leduc et al. (2021) that highlight grazing’s role in reducing fine fuel loads and lowering wildfire intensity. Like previous studies, including Vrahnakis et al. (2023), our research demonstrates that combining grazing with other vegetation management practices, such as thinning and controlled burning, can be highly effective in managing wildfire risk by reducing vegetation height and biomass. Additionally, projects like the LIFE Montserrat and GrazeLIFE showcase how grazing contributes to biodiversity and ecological resilience by maintaining open habitats and interrupting fuel continuity, which aligns with our findings in Sardinia that grazed, high-canopy areas exhibit reduced fire behavior. Our study adds to these insights by uniquely examining grazing’s effectiveness across variable climatic conditions, revealing that grazing’s benefits vary significantly with rainfall-driven biomass fluctuations. This aligns with Batcheler (2024), who observed that livestock consumption is highly responsive to annual vegetation growth, suggesting that grazing strategies could be adapted dynamically based on yearly climate conditions. Furthermore, unlike other studies that focus on open or scrubland ecosystems, our findings on the influence of canopy cover density highlight that shaded, high-canopy areas benefit more from grazing due to combined effects on microclimate and fuel reduction.

 

1. The conclusion is not concise enough and does not summarize the main content and research findings

 

ANSWER:

We tried to summarize the conclusions like this but in our opinion the previous version was more complete and clear. We leave the choice to the referees

The National Forest Strategy (NFS) in Italy emphasizes proactive fire prevention through integrated, large-scale forest management, with a focus on agro-silvo-pastoral practices like prescribed grazing. Grazing, deeply rooted in Mediterranean landscapes, is recognized as a Nature-Based Solution (NBS) that reduces fuel loads and mitigates socio-ecological vulnerabilities. Our study in Sardinia demonstrates that grazing significantly lowers wildfire risk, reducing flame length, rate of spread, and intensity by 41%, 54%, and 68%, respectively. This confirms grazing as an effective, sustainable tool for wildfire prevention when strategically managed. Although this research focuses on smaller fuel loads (1-h fuels), future studies should explore its impact on larger fuels (10-h and 100-h) to provide a fuller understanding of grazing’s role in Mediterranean fire management and resilience.

• First referee:

 

1. Lines 1.22-47: The abstract is not sufficiently concise and fails to summarize the main content, significance, and limitations of the article.

 

1. ANSWER:

 

Here is a more concise version of the abstract, while also summarizing the main content, significance, and limitation of our article.

 

This study investigates the role of prescribed grazing as a sustainable fire prevention strategy in Mediterranean ecosystems, with a focus on Sardinia, an area highly susceptible to wildfires. Using FlamMap simulation software, we modeled fire behavior across various grazing and environmental conditions to assess the impact of grazing on fire severity indicators such as flame length, rate of spread, and fireline intensity. Results demonstrate that grazing can reduce fire severity by decreasing combustible biomass, achieving reductions of 25.9% in fire extent in wet years, 60.9% in median years, and 45.8% in dry years. Grazed areas exhibited significantly lower fire intensity, particularly under high canopy cover. These findings support the integration of grazing into fire management policies, highlighting its efficacy as a nature-based solution. However, the study’s scope is limited to small biomass fuels (1-h fuels); future research should extend to larger fuel classes to enhance the generalizability of prescribed grazing as a fire mitigation tool.

 

 

 

1. Keywords: Please add three more keywords.

 

Keywords: preventive management; forest-grazed pastures; fire severity are added: FlamMap, Nature Based Solutions (NBS), Fuel model

 

ANSWER:

 

1. The font and format of this article do not meet the journal's requirements. Please make the necessary adjustments.

 

ANSWER:

The academic editor stated that the font and format of the article are acceptable for this stage of editing. Figures and translations have been addressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The quality of Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5 is poor. Please improve them.

 

ANSWER:

            Figures 1,2,4 and 5 have been slightly altered and improved.

 

1. Add a discussion section, which should extensively compare and analyze the findings of other similar studies, elaborate on the similarities and differences between this study and existing research, as well as the contributions and implications of this study for academic or practical fields.

 

ANSWER:

The authors of the article used the free format that Fire magazine accepts and the Managing Editor was also asked. Therefore, it was chosen to combine results and discussion in a single paragraph as required by the rules found on the site ( https://www.mdpi.com/journal/fire/instructions).

The article does not change its structure but the following has been added at the end:

This study aligns with existing research on grazing as an effective wildfire mitigation tool in Mediterranean environments, supporting findings by Lovreglio et al. (2014) and Rouet‐Leduc et al. (2021) that highlight grazing’s role in reducing fine fuel loads and lowering wildfire intensity. Like previous studies, including Vrahnakis et al. (2023), our research demonstrates that combining grazing with other vegetation management practices, such as thinning and controlled burning, can be highly effective in managing wildfire risk by reducing vegetation height and biomass. Additionally, projects like the LIFE Montserrat and GrazeLIFE showcase how grazing contributes to biodiversity and ecological resilience by maintaining open habitats and interrupting fuel continuity, which aligns with our findings in Sardinia that grazed, high-canopy areas exhibit reduced fire behavior. Our study adds to these insights by uniquely examining grazing’s effectiveness across variable climatic conditions, revealing that grazing’s benefits vary significantly with rainfall-driven biomass fluctuations. This aligns with Batcheler (2024), who observed that livestock consumption is highly responsive to annual vegetation growth, suggesting that grazing strategies could be adapted dynamically based on yearly climate conditions. Furthermore, unlike other studies that focus on open or scrubland ecosystems, our findings on the influence of canopy cover density highlight that shaded, high-canopy areas benefit more from grazing due to combined effects on microclimate and fuel reduction.

 

1. The conclusion is not concise enough and does not summarize the main content and research findings

 

ANSWER:

We tried to summarize the conclusions like this but in our opinion the previous version was more complete and clear. We leave the choice to the referees

The National Forest Strategy (NFS) in Italy emphasizes proactive fire prevention through integrated, large-scale forest management, with a focus on agro-silvo-pastoral practices like prescribed grazing. Grazing, deeply rooted in Mediterranean landscapes, is recognized as a Nature-Based Solution (NBS) that reduces fuel loads and mitigates socio-ecological vulnerabilities. Our study in Sardinia demonstrates that grazing significantly lowers wildfire risk, reducing flame length, rate of spread, and intensity by 41%, 54%, and 68%, respectively. This confirms grazing as an effective, sustainable tool for wildfire prevention when strategically managed. Although this research focuses on smaller fuel loads (1-h fuels), future studies should explore its impact on larger fuels (10-h and 100-h) to provide a fuller understanding of grazing’s role in Mediterranean fire management and resilience.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report (New Reviewer)

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The bullet points under ‘highlights’ are a bit repetitive. The main role of grazing is to reduce the forest floor fuel mass. This could be added. While herbaceous growth on a forest floor is a major source of forest fires, but not the only one. The authors have not even referred to the effect tree litter, which may account for much of the fuel for fire. Since the study was on forest grazing as a mitigating factor it was not expected to consider the effect of forest floor litter. However, forest floor could have been referred as an important component of forest fire regime. When it comes to application, other related factors can not be ignored.

The research finding could have been discussed with those of other regions. For example, in Himalayas free livestock grazing is a common feature and regarded as a source of forest degradation (lack of regeneration was a common effect of grazing). However, because of outmigration of people, livestock grazing is on decline, which may aggravate fire problem.    

Comments on the Quality of English Language

NA

Author Response

• Second referee:

1. The bullet points under ‘highlights’ are a bit repetitive. The main role of grazing is to reduce the forest floor fuel mass. This could be added. While herbaceous growth on a forest floor is a major source of forest fires, but not the only one. The authors have not even referred to the effect tree litter, which may account for much of the fuel for fire. Since the study was on forest grazing as a mitigating factor it was not expected to consider the effect of forest floor litter. However, forest floor could have been referred as an important component of forest fire regime. When it comes to application, other related factors can not be ignored.

ANSWER

The research analyzes only the herbaceous fuel defined at 1 h and which represents the herbaceous biomass grown under and outside the herbaceous cover. In several parts of the text this aspect is also highlighted as a limitation of the research but also as the main aspect analyzed.

1. The research finding could have been discussed with those of other regions. For example, in Himalayas free livestock grazing is a common feature and regarded as a source of forest degradation (lack of regeneration was a common effect of grazing). However, because of outmigration of people, livestock grazing is on decline, which may aggravate fire problem.

ANSWER

The comparison with other research has been carried out in similar environments such as the Mediterranean because different environments and more distant in our opinion have different and incomparable aspects and problems

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report (Previous Reviewer 3)

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The quality of this article has improved, but the quality of the charts is poor. I suggest revising them again.

Author Response

Dear Editorial board,

I answer by arguing point by point the requests for revision of the two referees:

• Referee:

The quality of this article has improved, but the quality of the charts is poor. I suggest revising them again

 

1. ANSWER:

 

I have been improving the photos as much as possible

Author Response File: Author Response.doc

This manuscript is a resubmission of an earlier submission. The following is a list of the peer review reports and author responses from that submission.

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The topic addressed by the manuscript is relevant. However, the authors need to revise both the structure and the content of the manuscript.

The title needs to be more specific. Including the terms "evaluation" and "analysis" makes it cumbersome.

The problem should be described precisely in the abstract, and the methodology should be added. The results are presented without a logical sequence, and the conclusion is missing. It would be advisable to select relevant key terms.

The introduction should cover the global, regional, and national context of wooded pastures (distribution, composition, importance, etc.), and the threats they face, including fire. Explain the causes and consequences of these fires, including existing monitoring approaches. Justify the relevance of Sardinia for conducting such a study. Add a hypothesis.

In the description of the study area, it is advisable to develop a paragraph about the demographics and economic activities.

The methodology section must be well described. On one hand, the data should be presented with a justification for their selection. On the other hand, the treatments performed should be explained precisely, including how the processed data were analyzed. The various methodological choices made should be justified and supported by references.

The results should be separated from the discussion. For the results section, the interpretation should be concise with a key message at the end of each paragraph. Figure and table captions should be self-explanatory. The term "foto" is, in my opinion, written in Italian.

The discussion should be developed and structured into (i) methodological limitations, (ii) a discussion of the main results, with comparisons to other researchers' findings in similar contexts, and (iii) the implications of the results obtained.

The conclusion should be professionally written. First, briefly present the objective and methodology. Then, present the results to prove whether the hypothesis has been verified or not. Finally, state the limitations of the study, provide a conclusion, and suggest directions for future research.

The reference style does not conform to the journal's standards.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper attempts to assess the effect of controlled (prescribed) grazing on expected wildland fire severity, using real fuel data to fire behavior simulations with FLAMMAP.

The authors seem to ignore or disregard basic terminology on the subject:

It is not 'tree- grazed pasture", the correct is 'grazed wood pasture' or ' grazed forest pasture' or even 'grazed silvopasture' (Look; USDA dictionary of forest terms).

There is absolutely NO DATA on the grazing system and intensity; number and type of animals, hours, days and seasons (periods) of grazing, etc.

The formulae on fire spread are elementary and have absolutely no place in a scientific paper, especially Rothermel's formula, which incorporates windspeed and slope in fire behavior, two parameters that you did not address.

The methodology description is confusing and unjustified, to say the least. For example, you estimate tree cover but you do not incorporate it in you fire behavior simulations. The results would be the same in bare and wooded pastures, according to your calculations.

Figure 1. provides absolutely no information on the sampling area. It is merely a map of Sardinia!...

Line 105; there is no such thing as 'prescribed pasture'! Moreso, if it is addressed in your statement of objecctives!

YOU PROVIDE ABSOLUTELY NO INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN IN THE FIELD. NOT EVEN THE SAMPLING SCHEME OF THE FUEL MEASUREMENTS. THERE IS VERY PRECISE METHODOLOGY ON HOW TO SAMPLE POTENTIAL FUELS IN GRAZING LANDS.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The writing style is very poor and the language elementary. It lacks knowledge of basic scientific terminology in the field. Also, it seems that no proofreading was conducted in this paper at all. It lacks editing and the reference list does not follow any known system.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1. Clarity and Structure: effectively summarizes the study's objective, methodology, and key findings related to the management of tree-grazed pastures and their impact on fire risk and severity in Sardinia. However, there are several grammatical and syntactical errors that need to be addressed for improved clarity and readability.

2.Research Contribution: The study makes a significant contribution to understanding the role of tree-grazed pastures in mitigating fire risk in Mediterranean environments. This is a critical area of research given the increasing incidence of wildfires in these regions.

Highlighting the novelty of assessing biomass reduction and fire severity due to grazing activities provides valuable insights for both academic research and practical management strategies.

3.Methodological Rigor: Clarification is needed regarding the specific methodologies employed to quantify biomass reduction and assess fire vulnerability and severity. Detailing these methods would enhance the study's credibility and reproducibility.

Consider discussing any limitations or assumptions made during the assessment process to provide a balanced perspective on the findings.

4.Contextual Relevance: Providing a brief context on why this region was chosen and its relevance to broader fire management strategies would strengthen the introduction.

5.Language and Expression: Rewording these sections would improve the overall flow of information. Ensure consistency in terminology related to biomass production, livestock grazing impact, and fire behavior throughout the abstract.

6.Conclusion and Implications: Conclude the abstract with a clear statement summarizing the practical implications of the findings for fire prevention and management strategies in Mediterranean ecosystems. Discuss how the study's results contribute to broader discussions on sustainable land management practices and their integration into Nature Based Solutions (NBS).

6. The Results and Discussion sections must be written separately.

7. The quality of the figures and tables is poor and not visually appealing. Please remake them.

8. The formatting of the article, including text layout, figure layout, font, and references, is quite messy. However, considering the potential value of the article, you are given an opportunity to revise it. Please take this seriously and adhere to the journal's formatting requirements.