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1. Definition
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Name
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FIRE
RISK
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Brief
definition
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Fire
risk is determined by the particular composition of
vegetation and therefore both by its flammability
and combustion capacity and its capacity to recover
after fire.
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Unit of measure
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A relative value assigned
to different classes of vegetation cover (fire risk
cannot be quantified in a simple manner, but it can
be estimated on the basis of the flammability of the
species present and the structure of the vegetation).
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2.
Position within the logical framework DPSIR
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Type
of Indicator
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State
(providing information on the vulnerability of vegetation
to wildfires).
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3.
Target and political pertinence
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Objective
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Contribution
to the definition and mapping of ESAs (Kosmas et al.,
1999) through the definition of a Vegetation Quality
Index.
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Importance
with respect to desertification
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This
indicator is part of a set of tools to identify and
mitigate land degradation developed in the MEDALUS
target areas. Together with other vegetation vulnerability
indicators, it contributes to producing a scale of
vegetation quality and consequently to the elaboration
of development strategies compatible with the resources
available in the given area.
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International
Conventions and agreements
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The
UNCCD emphasizes the fact that combating desertification
must be tackled within the general framework of actions
to promote sustainable development.
Within
Agenda 21 fire risk is relevant to Chapter 12 - Management
of fragile ecosystems: combating desertification and
drought.
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Secondary objectives
of the indicator
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Within the ESA model
objectives include: a) Investigation of the individual
processes linked to land degradation and desertification;
b) development of countermeasures and strategies to
protect land from desertification and to promote sustainable
development; c) comparison with the physical-environmental
characteristics of other target areas.
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4.
Methodological description and basic definitions
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Definitions
and basic concepts
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Amongst
the properties of vegetation, fire risk serves to indicate
capacity to resist the destructive action of fire and to recover
after the advent of fire.
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| Benchmarks
Indication of the values/ranges of value |
There
are four classes of fire risk corresponding to types of vegetation:
- low (bare land,
polyannual crops, annual crops such as maize, tobacco, sunflower);
- moderate (annual
crops such as cereals or meadows, deciduous oaks, mixed
deciduous and evergreen oaks, mixed Mediterranean maquis
and evergreen forests):
- high (Mediterranean
maquis);
- very high (conifer
forest).
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Methods
of measurement
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Since
fire risk is estimated on the basis of the type of vegetation
present, the latter has to be accurately defined. Vegetation
is thus defined on the basis of structure and dominant species
(prevalence of maquis, shrubs, olive trees, conifers, deciduous
oaks or evergreen oaks, annual species and also the prevalence
of areas without vegetation). The incidence expressed in percentage
of different species in a given area can be determined through
remote sensing techniques and field surveys.
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Limits
of the indicator
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Limits
are associated with the highly simplified classification proposed:
the third class (Med. maquis) comprises many types of maquis
covering huge areas of the Mediterranean basin, which in this
context are treated as if they were homogeneous. This is why
the indicator seems principally suited to the medium/small
scale, from sub-regional to regional.
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Linkages
with other indicators
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Fire
risk is combined with Vegetation
cover, Erosion protection,
Drought resistance to
define a Vegetation
quality index.
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5.
Evaluation of data needs and availability
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Data
required to calculate the indicator
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Data
on the type of vegetation, defined on the basis of
structure and dominant species in: 1) mixed Mediterranean
maquis/evergreen forest; 2) Mediterranean maquis;
3) permanent meadows; 4) annual meadows; 5) deciduous
forests; 6) pine forests; 7) evergreen forests with
the exception of pine forests; 8) polyannual evergreen
crops; 9) polyannual deciduous crops; 10) annual cycle
winter crops; 11) annual cycle summer crops; 12) bare
land.
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Data
sources
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Land
cover maps with vegetation classes of the physionomical-structural
type. Aerial photographs taken from public agencies
(ex IGMI) and private ones. LANDSAT, SPOT,NOAA, etc.
satellite images.
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Availability of data
from national and international sources
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If data is derived from
field surveys the cost will be high. If, on the other
hand it derives from the interpretation of aerial
photographs the cost will be much more reasonable.
If remotely sensed data from satellites is used, the
cost for the moment is quite high, but it is likely
to drop quite considerably, in the near future.
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6.
Institutions that have participated in developing the indicator
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Main
institutions responsible
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Agricultural
University of Athens.
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Other
contributing organizations
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Universities
of: Lisbon, Murcia, Basilicata, Amsterdam, Leeds.
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7.
Additional information
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Bibliography
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Kosmas
C. Ferrara A., Briassouli H., Imeson I., 1999 Methodology
for mapping ESAs to desertification. The Medalus Project,
Mediterranean desertification and land use. Manual
on key indicators of desertification and mapping environmentally
sensitive areas to desertification. Edited by Kosmas
C., M., Geeson N. EUR 18882. pp. 31-47
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Other
references
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Kosmas
C., 1998. Qualitative indicators of desertification.
Proceedings of the International Seminar held in Porto
Torres, Italy 18-20 September, 1998: pp. 81-100.
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Contacts Name and address
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Agricultural University
of Athens
Scientific responsibility: Dr Constantinos Kosmas
Address: Laboratory of Soils and Agricultural Chemistry,
Iera Odos 75, Botanikos 11855, Athens GR
Telephone/fax: (30) 1 529 4097
Email L Isos2kok @aua.gr
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