The relationship between fire severity and burning efficiency for estimating wildfire emissions in Mediterranean forests

• DOI: 10.1007/s11676-023-01599-1
• Publication Date: 2023-02-16T13:03:06Z
• Authors: Bountouraby Balde; Cristina Vega-Garcia; Pere Joan Gelabert; Aitor Ameztegui; Marcos Rodrigues
• Keywords: 550; 15. Life on land; 01 natural sciences; 7. Clean energy; 333; Forest wildfres; Greenhouse gases; Emissions; 13. Climate action; 11. Sustainability; Satellite images; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Abstract Forests are exposed to changing climatic conditions reflected by increasing drought and heat waves that increase the risk of wildfire ignition spread. Climatic variables such as rain wind well vegetation structure, land configuration forest management practices all factors determine burning potential wildfires. The assessment emissions released combustion is essential for determining greenhouse gases air pollutants. estimation wildfire-related depends on type fraction fuel (i.e., live biomass, ground litter, dead wood) consumed fire in a given area, termed efficiency. Most approaches estimate efficiency from optical remote sensing data. This study used data-driven method Mediterranean area. Burning severity estimations Landsat imagery (dNBR), which relate consumption, quantitative field data three national inventory were combined establish relationship between Several proxies explored these relationships based dNBR interval classes, regression models. correlation results conifers (R = 0.63) broad-leaved 0.95) indicated ways improving estimations. Median class (low, moderate-low, moderate-high, high) provided (0 .44 − 0.81) broad-leaves (0.64 0.86), models tree canopy susceptible (< 2 cm, 7 > branches, leaves). values higher than previous studies.