Assessment of Post Fire Soil Erosion with ESA Sentinel-2 Data and RUSLE Method in Apulia Region (Southern Italy)

Abstract

Fires are one of the main causes of environmental degradation as they have an impact on flora and fauna, can also strongly influence ecological and geomorphological processes and permanently compromise the functionality of the ecosystems and soils on which they impact. The severity of the fire event influences the superficial hydrological response and the consequent loss of soil. Precipitation on the basins recently affected by fires produces an increase in the outflow which commonly transports and deposits large volumes of sediment, both inside and downstream of the burned area. In the years following the fire, the loss of soil is very high and the degradation processes of the soils are much greater than in the pre-event. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential annual loss due to post-fire erosion using remote sensing techniques, RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) methodology and GIS tecniques in nine different event occurred in 2019 in the northern part of the Apulia Region (Southern Italy). Geographic Information System techniques and remote sensing data have been adopted to study the post-fire soil erosion risk. Satellite images are the most appropriate for environmental monitoring as they provide high resolution multispectral optical images, infact are able to monitor the development of vegetation by assessing the water content an changes in chlorophyll levels. This study can be useful to spatial planning authorities as a tool for assessing and monitoring eroded soil in areas affected by fires, representing a useful tool for land management.