Determination of changes in forest road network in fire-affected areas by UAV

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Hakan Durgun , Mehmet Eker

https://doi.org/10.33904/ejfe.1540549

Öz

Because of their dynamic nature, forests occasionally confront serious threats. The most dangerous of these threats are forest fires, which seriously harm ecosystems in many nations, including Turkey. Because they may physically restrict fires and give firefighters access, forest roads are essential to battling fires and preserving forests. Unmanned aerial vehicles are employed as a key data source in the rapid and accurate analysis of forest ecosystems made possible by Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing technology. The successful management of forests and fighting of fires is facilitated by the integration of these technologies. In a forest area damaged by fire in southwest Turkey, under the impact of a Mediterranean climate, this study looks at forest roads both before and after the fire. Using UAV and satellite imagery, parameters such road length, road density, opening-up ratio, and average road slope were examined before and after the fire. The study's conclusions demonstrate that the post-fire forest road network has grown significantly and that the new roads are geometrically of lesser quality. Post-fire roads are necessary for fighting fires and restoring forests, but their hasty construction can have a detrimental effect on the ecosystem. When it comes to providing precise and in-depth data for post-fire forest inventory assessments, UAV technology is a very useful instrument.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Forest fire, Forest road network, UAV, Change detection, Remote sensing