GIS analysis of physical and human impact on wildfire patterns

摘要

Fire, weather and vegetation patterns are key elements of the natural environment viewed in human perspective. Knowledge of the causes that configure the structure and spatial distribution of vegetation is the cornerstone in sustainable development, especially in agricultural production, forest management and land use planning. Strong correlation exists among physical and human elements of the environment that determine wildfire and vegetation dynamics. This paper examines the differences in spatial distribution of wildfires and vegetation in two peninsulas of northern Greece with the use of modern geo-informatics procedures and technology (I.e., multivariate digital processing in time and space). Logistic regression models were applied in a spatial database that has been developed and managed within a Geographic Information System (GIS). Cartographic vegetative information were statistically correlated with basic impact factors (e.g., geomorphology, climate, fire history, land use and human activities) to estimate the rate and magnitude of their influence in a landscape scale.