Assessing Chilgoza Pine (Pinus gerardiana) forest fire severity: Remote sensing analysis, correlations, and predictive modeling for enhanced management strategies

Trees Forests and People, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 16, P. 100521 - 100521

Published: Feb. 24, 2024

Forest fires represent a critical global threat to both humans and ecosystems. This study examines the intensity impacts of Chilgoza (Pinus gerardiana) Pine by using advanced remote sensing techniques comprising Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) Difference (dNBR) analyses based on Landsat 9 datasets. The highlights severe effect these fires, resulting in noteworthy losses livestock private properties widespread damage 10,156.53 acres Forest. A comprehensive variable correlation analysis is conducted gain deeper insights into influencing factors causing forest fires. Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient was used assess association between burnt unburnt areas various independent factors. reveals compelling evidence significant correlations with fire prevalence. found moderate negative (-0.532, p < 0.05) positive (0.513, elevation Land Surface Temperature (LST), respectively, weak (0.252, Wind Speed (V). To predict susceptibility better understand contributing factors, three machine learning models, Random (RF), XGBoost, logistic regression, are applied importance scores. Among considered LST most variable, consistently high scores (100%, 96%, 59%) across all models. (V) also proved influential 78%, 83%, 61% for RF, respectively. Moreover, significantly influences frequency as evidenced ranging from 26% 100%. Comparatively, model outperforms XGBoost Logistic Regression predicting vulnerability. During training stage, (RF) achieves an impressive classification accuracy 99.1%, followed 94.5% 85.6%. On evaluation validation dataset, accuracies remain promising, RF at 96.4%, 91.1%, 84.6%. Based model, identified high-risk sites offer valuable proactive management prevention strategies. provides robust predictive understanding severity impacts. Future research should consider climate change scenarios account human activities enhance behavior predictions risk assessment

Language: Английский

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Environmental and socioeconomic impacts of forest fires: A call for multilateral cooperation and management interventions

Natural Hazards Research, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 3(2), P. 286 - 294

Published: April 13, 2023

Fire is one of the dominant disturbances in forests that widely impacts ecology, environment, and socioeconomics nations across globe. In view setting priorities for combating mitigating adverse forest fires, a review literature was carried out to examine various environmental socioeconomic fires. The G20 were selected present study because together they represent 60 percent world population about 80 GDP, apart from having strategic multilateral platform connecting world's major developed emerging economic countries. illustrates contribution quite significant (69.26%) yet are impacted adversely due fires so environment diverse types possess. on countries should come forward establishing strengthening bilateral or co-operation co-ordination, also share adequate financial resources, technologies training among themselves.

Language: Английский

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Recovery and resilience of European temperate forests after large and severe disturbances

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 30(2)

Published: Feb. 1, 2024

Abstract Recent observations of tree regeneration failures following large and severe disturbances, particularly under warm dry conditions, have raised concerns about the resilience forest ecosystems their recovery dynamics in face climate change. We investigated temperate forests Europe after disturbance events (i.e., resulting more than 70% canopy loss patches larger 1 ha), with a range one to five decades since occurred. The study included 143 sites different types management practices that had experienced 28 events, including windthrow (132 sites), fire (six bark beetle outbreaks (five sites). focused on assessing post‐disturbance density, structure, composition as key indicators resilience. compared height‐weighted densities site‐specific pre‐disturbance qualitatively assess potential for structural compositional recovery, overall dominant species, respectively. Additionally, we analyzed ecological drivers post‐windthrow such management, topography, aridity, using series generalized additive models. descriptive results show European been resilient past disturbances concurrent albeit lower high‐severity other agents. Across agents, was greater proportion plots becoming dominated by early‐successional species disturbance. models showed increasing elevation salvage logging negatively affect regeneration, late‐successional while pioneer are affected summer aridity. These findings provide baseline future recent occurrence widespread region anticipation conditions characterized heat drought stress.

Language: Английский

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Prescribed burning mitigates the severity of subsequent wildfires in Mediterranean shrublands

Fire Ecology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 20(1)

Published: Jan. 17, 2024

Abstract Background Prescribed burning (PB) is becoming relevant in fuel reduction and thus fire hazard abatement fire-prone ecosystems of southern Europe. Yet, empirical evidence on the effectiveness this practice to mitigate wildfire severity Mediterranean shrublands non-existent, despite being focus PB efforts region. Here, we intended quantify protective effect treatment units (2005–2021) subsequent across mainland Portugal, as well relative contribution complex interactions between drivers PB-treated areas untreated neighboring counterparts through Random Forest regression. We leveraged cloud-computing remote sensing data processing Google Earth Engine estimate (PB wildfire) Relativized Burn Ratio (RBR) using Landsat catalog. Results was particularly effective at mitigating first PB-wildfire encounter shrublands, with a mean around 24% RBR units. Fuel age (i.e., time since prescribed burning) intersection overwhelmed large extent weather, probability, severity. The persisted for 5 years. However, decreased increasingly adverse weather conditions, such that variation somewhat insensitive under extreme weather. Similarly, lowest experienced sites high along interaction observed probability age, suggest repeated treatments may be useful controlling accumulation explaining exceedingly areas, doubling other variables model absence variables. Conclusions Our results implementation intervals less than years paramount importance control build-up productive shrublands. Further research topic warranted worldwide, namely Mediterranean-type climate regions.

Language: Английский

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Post-fire spectral recovery and driving factors across the boreal and temperate forests

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 380(1924)

Published: April 1, 2025

Increasingly frequent and severe forest fires, exacerbated by warmer drier conditions, significantly affect ecosystems. Understanding the dynamics of post-fire recovery is crucial for assessing resilience guiding management. However, most studies focus primarily on spatial variation, while changes over time are relatively less studied. In this study, we examined patterns, trends drivers spectral from fires that burned between 2002 2018 in boreal temperate forests. We used relative indicators (RRIs) developed three indices—the normalized burn ratio, difference vegetation index near-infrared reflectance vegetation—to capture recovery. Our results showed rates forests faster than those forests, with quicker regions higher percentages broad-leaved species, temperature precipitation. The decline indicates becoming increasingly challenging. work provides valuable insights into management conservation face increasing fire frequency intensity. This article part theme issue ‘Novel regimes under climate human influences: impacts, ecosystem responses feedbacks’.

Language: Английский

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Fractional vegetation cover ratio estimated from radiative transfer modeling outperforms spectral indices to assess fire severity in several Mediterranean plant communities

Remote Sensing of Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 290, P. 113542 - 113542

Published: March 14, 2023

Language: Английский

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Vegetation recovery drivers at short-term after fire are plant community-dependent in mediterranean burned landscapes

Forest Ecology and Management, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 539, P. 121034 - 121034

Published: April 21, 2023

Language: Английский

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Short-term recovery of post-fire vegetation is primarily limited by drought in Mediterranean forest ecosystems

Fire Ecology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 19(1)

Published: Nov. 7, 2023

Abstract Background Climate change is altering the fire regime and compromising post-fire recovery of vegetation worldwide. To understand factors influencing cover restoration, we calculated in 200,000 hectares western Mediterranean forest burned by 268 wildfires over a 27-year period (1988–2015). We used time series Tasseled Cap Transformation Brightness (TCTB) spectral transformation Landsat imagery to calculate recovery. Then, quantified importance main drivers (climate, severity, topography) along an aridity gradient (semi-arid, sub-humid, humid) using Random Forest models. Results In most models (99.7%), drought duration was important factor, negatively affecting especially extremes gradient. Fire severity second factor for recovery, with its effect varying gradient: there positive relationship between sub-humid humid areas, while semi-arid areas showed opposite pattern. Topographic variables were least driver had marginal on Additionally, exhibited low mean rate, indicating limitations short-term after fire. Conclusions Our study highlights key role that plays basin and, particularly, forests located climatically extreme areas. The results suggest predicted increase coupled higher frequency intensity large fires may modify structure composition ecosystems. analysis provides relevant information evaluate design adaptive management strategies hotspots

Language: Английский

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Characterization of biophysical contexts leading to severe wildfires in Portugal and their environmental controls

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 875, P. 162575 - 162575

Published: March 5, 2023

Language: Английский

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Remote sensing delineation of wildfire spatial extents and post-fire recovery along a semi-arid climate gradient

Ecological Informatics, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 78, P. 102304 - 102304

Published: Sept. 11, 2023

Understanding the wildfire extent and post-fire vegetation recovery is critical for fire forest management. Remote sensing imagery widely used in detection because it provides continuous large-scale surface monitoring capability. In this study, we apply evaluate performance of LandTrendr algorithm across a semi-arid climate region with marked precipitation gradient. The aims are to compare four spectral indices burned areas different conditions investigate relationship between suitable model parameters conditions. results show that NDVI outperforms other indices, including NBR, area dryer (annual <400 mm). Disturbance signal-to-noise ratio can serve as an indicator index selection areas. Although pixels varies among they all delineating except wet site 575 mm) where NBR displays best performance. Parameter optimization along gradient have significant impact on parameter selection. These findings provide guidance arid climates support risk forestry

Language: Английский

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