Spatial Representation of Soil Erosion and Vegetation Affected by a Forest Fire in the Sierra de Francia (Spain) Using RUSLE and NDVI
Extreme weather events are increasing the frequency and intensity of forest fires, generating serious environmental and socio-economic impacts. These fires cause soil loss through erosion, organic matter depletion, increased surface runoff and the release of greenhouse gases, intensifying climate ch...
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2025-04-01
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| author | Gloria Fernández Leticia Merchán José Ángel Sánchez |
| author_facet | Gloria Fernández Leticia Merchán José Ángel Sánchez |
| author_sort | Gloria Fernández |
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| description | Extreme weather events are increasing the frequency and intensity of forest fires, generating serious environmental and socio-economic impacts. These fires cause soil loss through erosion, organic matter depletion, increased surface runoff and the release of greenhouse gases, intensifying climate change. They also affect biodiversity, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and soil quality. The assessment of forest fires by remote sensing, such as the use of the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), allows rapid analysis of damaged areas, monitoring of vegetation changes and the design of restoration strategies. On the other hand, models such as RUSLE are key tools for calculating soil erosion and planning conservation measures. A study of the impacts on soils and vegetation in the south of Salamanca, where one of the worst fires in the province took place in 2022, has been carried out using RUSLE and NDVI models, respectively. The study confirms that fires significantly affect soil properties, increase erosion and hinder vegetation recovery, highlighting the need for effective restoration strategies. It was observed that erosion intensifies after fires (the maximum rate of soil loss before is 1551.85 t/ha/year, while after it is 4899.42 t/ha/year) especially in areas with steeper slopes, which increases soil vulnerability, according to the RUSLE model. The NDVI showed a decrease in vegetation recovery in the most affected areas (with a maximum value of 0.3085 after the event and 0.4677 before), indicating a slow regeneration process. The generation of detailed cartographies is essential to identify critical areas and prioritise conservation actions. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of implementing restoration measures, designing sustainable agricultural strategies and developing environmental policies focused on the mitigation of land degradation and the recovery of fire-affected ecosystems. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-1296a020ae1247c8a3b2a3fbdc72b83d2025-08-20T02:18:09ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-04-0114479310.3390/land14040793Spatial Representation of Soil Erosion and Vegetation Affected by a Forest Fire in the Sierra de Francia (Spain) Using RUSLE and NDVIGloria Fernández0Leticia Merchán1José Ángel Sánchez2Department of Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Salamanca, Filiberto Villalobos Avenue, 119, E-37007 Salamanca, SpainDepartment of Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Salamanca, Filiberto Villalobos Avenue, 119, E-37007 Salamanca, SpainDepartment of Botany and Plant Physiology, Area of Botany, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, University of Salamanca, s/n, E-37007 Salamanca, SpainExtreme weather events are increasing the frequency and intensity of forest fires, generating serious environmental and socio-economic impacts. These fires cause soil loss through erosion, organic matter depletion, increased surface runoff and the release of greenhouse gases, intensifying climate change. They also affect biodiversity, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and soil quality. The assessment of forest fires by remote sensing, such as the use of the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), allows rapid analysis of damaged areas, monitoring of vegetation changes and the design of restoration strategies. On the other hand, models such as RUSLE are key tools for calculating soil erosion and planning conservation measures. A study of the impacts on soils and vegetation in the south of Salamanca, where one of the worst fires in the province took place in 2022, has been carried out using RUSLE and NDVI models, respectively. The study confirms that fires significantly affect soil properties, increase erosion and hinder vegetation recovery, highlighting the need for effective restoration strategies. It was observed that erosion intensifies after fires (the maximum rate of soil loss before is 1551.85 t/ha/year, while after it is 4899.42 t/ha/year) especially in areas with steeper slopes, which increases soil vulnerability, according to the RUSLE model. The NDVI showed a decrease in vegetation recovery in the most affected areas (with a maximum value of 0.3085 after the event and 0.4677 before), indicating a slow regeneration process. The generation of detailed cartographies is essential to identify critical areas and prioritise conservation actions. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of implementing restoration measures, designing sustainable agricultural strategies and developing environmental policies focused on the mitigation of land degradation and the recovery of fire-affected ecosystems.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/4/793conservationerosionforest fireNDVIRUSLEsoil |
| spellingShingle | Gloria Fernández Leticia Merchán José Ángel Sánchez Spatial Representation of Soil Erosion and Vegetation Affected by a Forest Fire in the Sierra de Francia (Spain) Using RUSLE and NDVI Land conservation erosion forest fire NDVI RUSLE soil |
| title | Spatial Representation of Soil Erosion and Vegetation Affected by a Forest Fire in the Sierra de Francia (Spain) Using RUSLE and NDVI |
| title_full | Spatial Representation of Soil Erosion and Vegetation Affected by a Forest Fire in the Sierra de Francia (Spain) Using RUSLE and NDVI |
| title_fullStr | Spatial Representation of Soil Erosion and Vegetation Affected by a Forest Fire in the Sierra de Francia (Spain) Using RUSLE and NDVI |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial Representation of Soil Erosion and Vegetation Affected by a Forest Fire in the Sierra de Francia (Spain) Using RUSLE and NDVI |
| title_short | Spatial Representation of Soil Erosion and Vegetation Affected by a Forest Fire in the Sierra de Francia (Spain) Using RUSLE and NDVI |
| title_sort | spatial representation of soil erosion and vegetation affected by a forest fire in the sierra de francia spain using rusle and ndvi |
| topic | conservation erosion forest fire NDVI RUSLE soil |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/4/793 |
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