Application of Remote Sensing and GIS for Analysis of Forest Fire Risk and Assessment of Forest Degradation

Abstract

Forest, shrub-steppe, and grassland fires have come under the inclusive terminology of wildland fire. In the past decade, fire occurrence and area of surface burned has increased dramatically. This increase in wildland fire frequency and intensity has been driven by climate variability and in some countries, worsened by fuel management policies. Many areas that have been burned are in remote areas of the world where collection of information on fires is either difficult or impossible on the ground. Satellite remote sensing has been applied to this problem with some remarkable successes in locating large fires, mapping the areas burned, and tracking smoke plumes. For smaller fires, pixel size limitations have led to use of aircraft based sensor development. To understand fire ecological consequences, parameters such as fire intensity, fuel consumed, and heat release rate to atmosphere must be understood. In parts of the Southwest Pacific Region, the potential for fire occurrence is exacerbated by lack of infrastructure common to more developed areas. The use of remote sensing, geographic information systems, and computer models will allow fires to manage to lower risks.