Evaluation of greek post-fire erosion mitigation policy through spatial analysis

• Autorzy: Myronidis D. , Arabatzis G.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

In the Mediterranean region severe wildfires occur mainly in summer and they are one of the main drivers of desertification in the region. Moreover, due to the speed and scale of climatic changes, it is likely that wildfires will hit this region more frequently. As a result, every year Mediterranean countries spend millions of euros on post-fire emergency watershed stabilization measures such as check dams in streams and erosion barriers on sensitive slopes. This study implements spatial analysis to evaluate the current Greek post-fire erosion mitigation policy and to support the decision made concerning the application of the most suitable response to post-fire erosion threat by fires. Applied to a case study area on the Kassandra peninsula, our spatial modeling approach of Kassandra post-fire treatment using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) has demonstrated the failure of the present policy and the need to adopt a new policy that will manage the inefficiency of the existing policy to mitigate post-fire erosion risks. Our results highlight the importance of incorporating more sophisticated and spatially detailed modelling approaches in order to achieve a more cost effective spatial targeting of land use policy interventions.

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Polish Journal of Environmental Studies
• Rocznik: 2009
• Tom: 18
• Numer: 5
• Opis fizyczny: p.865-872,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Myronidis D.

• School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

autor

Arabatzis G.

• Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace, Pantazidou 193, 68200 Orestiada, Greece

Bibliografia

• 1. BURROUGH P.A. Principles of geographical information system for land resources assessment. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1986.
• 2. CARVER A., THURAU R., WHITE E., LAZDINIS M. Applying spatial analysis to forest policy evaluation: case study of the Illinois Forestry Development. Environmental Science and Policy. 9, 253, 2006.
• 3. DEWOLFE V., SANTI P., EY J., GARTNER J. Effective mitigation of debris flows at Lemon Dam, La Plata County, Colorado, Geomorphology. 96, 366, 2008.
• 4. EMMANOULOUDIS D., CHRISTOU O., FILIPPIDIS, E. Quantitative estimation of degradation in the Aliakmon river basin using GIS. Erosion Prediction in Ungauged Basins: Integrating Methods and Techniques. IAHS Publication, 279, 234, 2003.
• 5. EMMANOULOUDIS D., MYRONIDIS LAMBOVA M. TZANERIKOU D. A paradigm of an integrated transboundary environmental education, training, and technology transfer project. DOI 10.1007/s10669-008-9161-9, 2007.
• 6. ESPON. project 1.3.1. Natural Hazards, final report April, 2006.
• 7. ESRI. Using Spatial Analyst, Editors of Esri Press, ESRI PRESS, 2004.
• 8. FOX D., BEROLO W., CARREGA P. DARBOUX F. Mapping erosion risk and selecting sites for simple erosion control measures after a forest fire in Mediterranean France. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 31, 606, 2006.
• 9. GAGARI P., LYRINTZIS G., BALOUTSOS G., XANTHOPOULOS G. Contribution of log erosion barriers to soil protection and vegetation recovery after wildfire in a Pinus halepensis forest, in Greece. In Proceedings of the International Conference, Forest Research: a Challenge for an Integrated European Approach, Thessaloniki, Greece, Radoglou K (ed.). 1, 311, 2001.
• 10. GAVRILOVIC S. Bujicni tokovi i erozija (Torrents and erosion). Gradevinski kalendar, Beograd, Serbia 1976.
• 11. GLOBEVNIK L., HOLJEVIC D., PETKOVSEK G., RUBINIC J. Applicability of the Gavrilovic method in erosion calculation using spatial data manipulation techniques. IAHS Publication. 279, 224, 2003.
• 12. HENDERSON M., KALABOKIDIS K., MARMARAS E., KONSTANTINIDIS P., MARANGUDAKIS M. Fire and society: a comparative analysis of wildfire in Greece and the United States. Human Ecology Review. 12, (2), 169, 2005.
• 13. HORTON R. Erosional development of streams and their drainage basins, hydrophysical approach to quantitative morphology. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America. 56, 275, 1945.
• 14. JRC. Forest Fires in Europe 2007, Report No. 8, 2008.
• 15. MILES S., HASKINS D., RANKEN D. Emergency Burn Rehabilitation: Cost, Risk, and Effectiveness. Symposium on Fire and Watershed Management, Sacramento, California, 1989.
• 16. MINCEV I., BLINKOV I. GIS model for assessing water and sediment discharge based on the methodology of Gavrilović. International Conference Erosion and Torrent Control as a Factor in Sustainable River Basin Management 25-28 September 2007, Belgrade-Serbia, 2007.
• 17. MITSOPOULOS I., MYRONIDIS D. Assessment of post fire debris flow potential in a Mediterranean type ecosystem. First International Conference on Monitoring, Simulation, Prevention and Remediation of Dense and Debris Flows, WIT Press, pp. 221-229, 2006.
• 18. MYRONIDIS D. Rational management of mountainous watersheds by developing Geographical Information System, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Dissertation, pp. 1-247, 2006.
• 19. RMHD, Technical specifications and guidelines for the application of post fire conservation practice. Direction of Reforestation and Mountainous Hydrology, Athens, 1992.
• 20. ROBICHAUD P.R. Measurement of post-fire hillslope erosion to evaluate and model rehabilitation treatment effectiveness and recovery. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 14, 475, 2005.
• 21. SANTI P., HIGGINS J., CANNON S., DEGRAFF J. Evaluation of Post-Wildfire Debris Flow Mitigation Methods and Development of Decision-Support Tools. Final Technical Report, JFSP Contract 03-1-4-14, 2006.
• 22. SOUTSAS K., PAPAGEORGIOU A., TAMPAKIS S., ARABATZIS G., KASIMIADIS D. The Concept of Forest Landscape Restoration in the Mediterranean Basin. New Medit, Mediterranean Journal of Economics, Agriculture and Environment. 4, 57, 2004.
• 23. STEFANIDIS P., MYRONIDIS D., SAPOUNTZIS M., STATHIS D. The torrent “Sklitrho” in Florina. Torrential Environment and torrent control system. Scientific Annals. Department of forestry and natural environment. Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki. 41, (2), 1275, 1998.
• 24. TAMPAKIS S., PAPAGEORGIOU A., KARANIKOLA P., ARABATZIS G., TSANTOPOULOS G. The forest fires in the Mediterranean from a policy point of view. New Medit, Mediterranean Journal of Economics, Agriculture and Environment. 3, 47, 2005.
• 25. TANGESTANI M., Comparison of EPM and PSIAC models in GIS for erosion and sediment yield assessment in a semi-arid environment: Afzar Catchment, Fars Province, Iran. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. 27, 585, 2006.
• 26. TAZIOLI A. Evaluation of erosion in equipped basins: preliminary results of a comparison between the Gavrilovic model and direct measurements of sediment transport. Environmental Geology. DOI 10.1007/s00254-007-1183-y, 2008.
• 27. VAN DER HORST D., Spatial cost–benefit thinking in multi-functional forestry; towards a framework for spatial targeting of policy interventions. Ecological Economics. 59, 171, 2006.
• 28. VANDINE D.F. Debris Flow Control Structures for Forest Engineering: British Columbia Ministry of Forests Research Program, Victoria, B.C., Working Paper 08/1996 (available at www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/pubs/Docs/Wp/Wp22.htm.), pp. 68, 1996.
• 29. VENTE J., POESEN J. Predicting soil erosion and sediment yield at the basin scale: Scale issues and semi-quantitative models. Earth-Science Reviews, 71, 95, 2005.