Vegetation Fires in the Asian Region:Satellite Observational Needs and Priorities

摘要

Fire plays important role in shaping ecosystem structure and function. Depending upon the complex effects of fire, it can have either beneficial or harmful effects. Remote sensing technology with its synoptic, multi-temporal, multispectral and repetitive coverage capabilities can provide valuable information on fire counts, radiative power, area burned and vegetation type. In this article, we briefly review the potential of satellite remote sensing data for mapping and monitoring vegetation fires. For describing fire events in Asia, we used nine years of MODIS datasets in conjunction with the MERIS 300m vegetation map. In several regions of the world, including Asia, scientists are looking forward to an improved understanding of the utility of satellite products for resource management and policy. To meet such requirements, an international program called Global Observation of Forest Cover/Global Observations of Land Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) has been coordinating forest, land and fire activities across the globe. More specifically, the GOFC-GOLD Fire Implementation Team (IT) has been involved in articulating the use of satellite-derived fire products and information from existing and planned systems for global change research, fire management and policy decision-making. Accordingly, a brief description of GOFC-Fire IT's activities, goals and strategies is provided. Satellite observational needs and priorities for effective fire monitoring in the Asian region are also discussed.