Taking the long view: Using satellite images to assess wildfire effects

Product Type: Science Feature

Year: 2001

Author(s): Haire, S. and J. Wilson

Pages: 1

Suggested Citation: Haire, S. and J. Wilson. 2001. Taking the long view: Using satellite images to assess wildfire effects. http://www.fort.usgs.gov/resources/research_briefs/wildfire_satellites.asp.

Abstract

The year 2000 fire season heightened concern that decades of fire suppression may have lead to larger, more severe wildfires. But in nature, is this unusual? What are the various ecological effects caused by fires of different severity, or even by the variation in severity within particular burns? How do we learn about these effects on a landscape scale? To find out, USGS and National Park Service scientists are looking at fire effects from a unique perspective: Space. Studies of fire effects on plant and animal communities are currently hindered by the limited availability of standardized, quantitative maps of burn-severity patterns. Remote sensing technologies, such as satellite images, may allow the consistent comparison among sites that this research requires. Where fire size, remoteness, and rugged terrain make alternative methods impractical, remote sensing technologies are highly effective in assessing and monitoring wildfires and their effects...