Remote Sensing of Large Wildfires in the European Mediterranean Basin
Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York Barcelona HongKong London Milan Paris Singapore Tokyo
Emilio Chuvieco (Ed.)
Remote Sensing of Large Wildfires in the European Mediterranean Basin
With 45 Figures, 16 Color Plates and 33 Tables
Springer
Prof. Dr. Emilio Chuvieco University of A1cahi Department of Geography Colegios, 2 28801 Alcala de Henares Spain E~mail:
[email protected]
ISBN- 13: 978-3-642-64284-5 DOl: 10.10071978-3-642-60164-4
e-ISBN-I 3: 918-3-642-60164-4
library of Congress Cualoging-in- Publi,,,tion Data Remote sensing ofJarge wildfires in the European Mediterranean Basin I Emilio Chuvieco (ed), Includes bibliographical references. I. Forest fires-Mediterranean Region-Prevention and cOnlrnl. 2. Wildfires-Mediterranean Region-Prevention and control.
). Remote sensing.
4. Geographic information system. I. Chuvieco Salinero, Emilio. SD'PI.32.M44R46 6)4.9' 618' olS-·deli
1999 99-15'14) elP
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C Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1999 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edilioo 1999
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Foreword
Forest fIres are considered a major environmental problem in many European Union Member States as well as in other parts of the world. According to a recent report of the European Commission, forest fues are a dominant feature of the landscapes of the fIve Southern European Member States - Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece, and almost a half of the Community's forests have been classed as fue-risk areas. Protection from forest fues is an interdisciplinary endeavour, which needs to be addressed from both the technological and methodological point of view, and which necessitates a wide spectrum of various scientifIc disciplines. It also implies the solution of numerous practical problems (both of a generic nature and of a specifIc one) and the consideration of the characteristics of the specifIc areas in which fue fIghting is carried out. ScientifIc research is offering a major contribution to forest fIre fIghting. The European Commission (DG XII, Directorate General for Science, Research and Development) has supported since the 1980s a number of multinational research projects through its successive RTD programmes in the fIeld of the Environment. Findings from these integrated and multidisciplinary projects have increased our understanding of the causes and socio-economic aspects of fue, of the natural role of fues in the maintenance and restoration of ecosystems, and of fue behaviour modelling. Emphasis was also given to the development and validation of fue behavio