Determining the Regeneration Dynamics of Burned Forest Areas Using Satellite Images and Climate Parameters
Dilek Küçük Matçı, Uğur Avdan, Murat Kuruca, Deniz Hakan Durmuş, Sümeyye AktaşForest fires significantly impact ecosystems by reducing biological diversity and sustainability. Observing the regeneration process of burned areas and identifying factors influencing this process, monitoring the regeneration status, determining the spread of invasive species, and understanding the impact on wildlife and its evolution contribute to assessing the consequences of this disaster. However, on-site monitoring of burned areas is a time-consuming and challenging process. Therefore, in this study, the regeneration processes of burned forest areas and the factors influencing these processes were investigated using data from remote sensing systems. In this context, the regeneration processes of areas affected by the forest fire in Antalya Kumluca and Adrasan in 2016 were examined. Landsat-8 satellite images of the study areas were obtained with the assistance of Google Earth Engine (GEE). NBR (Normalized Burn Ratio) showing the severity of the burn and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) indicating the vitality status of the forest were calculated using these images. In addition, parameters such as wind speed, soil moisture, precipitation amount, Land Surface Temperature (LST), and air temperature were obtained from data provided by remote sensing systems through GEE. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the parameters affecting the regeneration process.