Monitoring the regeneration of native forest fragments impacted by fire

Abstract

Forest fires have increased a lot in Brazil in recent years, causing air pollution, increased soil erosion processes with production of sediments, emission of greenhouse gases and overloading public health services, with severe environmental and socioeconomic losses. Therefore, the development of new analysis and mapping technologies for areas affected by fires is necessary and essential in this context of accentuated expansion of forest fires. Research monitoring flights were performed with an unmanned aerial vehicle to obtain RGB aerial images of a fragment of native forest affected by fire in July 2019. Thus, subareas were defined to define mapping patterns that can serve as algorithms for remote detection of areas affected by fires. Afterwards, land use were generated to monitor the evolution of the natural process of regeneration of the forest fragment. The studies identified that 0.77 ha was affected by the fire and that from August to November of the same year, the area was completely regenerated, and all remnants of the forest fire were eliminated. Thus, the work explains a strategic alternative for reducing, combating, and monitoring forest fires. Furthermore, it also contributes as a tool for the preparation of recovery plans for areas impacted by forest fires.