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2. STUDY AREA 
The working area is located at the valley of the Cantabán river and surrounding relieves, including the main part of the 
Muela de Cortes de Pallás and the Caroche platform, at the most occidental region of the province of Valencia (East of 
Spain). The area is limited by the following U.T.M. coordinates: 657000 and 4329000 at the southwest, and 680975 and 
4354975 at the northeast. The valley comes downward from south to north to the Jücar river, fitted over the soft and 
non-permeable triassic materials (IGME, 1979 y 1980). The close range relieves are mainly composed of cretacic 
carbonated series with a tabloid geological structure, and get 1100 m of altitude at the Caroche peak. Though some 
sectors present a plateau morphology, they have steep slopes associated to cut valleys created the strong basins draining 
the area. 
Though there is a high lithological variability in the sector, some specific zones are widely homogeneous, specially in 
calcareous and dolomitic areas. Several litological units were established grouping stratigraphic series with a certain 
degree of coherence, in order to analyze the different geological substrates (table 1). 
As it is showed on table 2, the climatic characteristics are typical of a mediterranean area with some continental 
influence. 
Table 1. Lithologies, wildfire date and affected area studied 
  
Lithology Code Wildfire code Surface 
lithology date wildfire analysed Km? 
Limestones and dolomites A 6/07/78 78 3.21 
Limestones and dolomites A 17/07/79 79 44.85 
Maris and limestones intertwined B 17/07/79 79 6.59 
Marls, gypsum and clays (Keuper) C 17/07/79 79 3.44 
Limestones and dolomites A 19/07/84 84 5.08 
Maris and limestones intertwined B 19/07/84 84 1.80 
Maris, gypsum and clays (Keuper) C 19/07/84 84 1.31 
Limestones and dolomites A 27/07/85 85 57.50 
Maris and limestone intertwined s B 27/07/85 85 4.27 
Maris, gypsum and clays (Keuper) C 27/07/85 85 1.02 
Limestones and dolomites A 05/08/90 90 4.27 
  
  
Table 2. Mesoclimatic characteristics 
  
  
Meterological Geographic position Climate type Martonne Gaussen Hydric 
station (Thornwaite) Aridity index deficit 
Ayora, la Unde 39?05',1?03"W, 1.193 m DB2db4 20,2 10,3 
Cofrentes 39°14’ N, 1903 W, 394m DB3db4 17,6 9,1 
Teresa de Cofrentes 39°06°N, 1°02’W, 561 m DB2db4 15,4 7,9 
Enguera, las Arenas 38°55°N, 0°54°W, 826 m C1B’1da’ 211 10,7 
  
  
From the bio-climatic point of view, and applying the methodology of Rivas-Martínez (1987), the area of study is into 
the type meso-mediterranean medium, with the exception of some bottom parts of the valley, classified as meso- 
mediterraneum low. Regarding the ombroclimate, the entire area is inside the dry dominium. 
The potencial vegetation of La Muela and Caroche would be composed of oaks (Quercus rotundifolia), but the 
degradation by continuous fires since the decade of 1960, as reported on table 1, reduced them to small forests (Costa, 
1986). The current vegetation, as defined by the II Inventario Forestal Nacional and corroborated by field tests, is 
dominated by large areas with xerophyta bush (Quercus coccifera, Juniperus oxycedrus, Ulex parviflorus, Rosmarinus 
officinalis, Thymus vulgaris). There are some local and small patches of Pistacia lentiscus. In deep soil and shaded 
areasthey show up some plants like Arbutus unedo and Quercus rotundifolia. The most common trees is Pinus 
halepensis, at some areas together with Pinus pinaster. Soils are not deep, in general, and only those parts located on 
shaded areas have a clearly defined humiferous layer. There is evidence of erosion processes in those sectors with non 
permeable lithologies and sparse vegetation. Over the marls and clays from the Keuper there are large rills and gullys. 
Fast erosion can be also appear in some limestone areas with inserted marls and sparse vegetation. 
3. METHODOLOGY 
3.1. Image analysis 
The satellite images were preprocessed and georeferenced to UTM coordinates, using ground control points and 
obtaining a geometric accuracy of 0.684 pixels. Since the indicator of the evolution of the vegetation is the NDVI 
derived from the satellite images it is necessary to check and to radiometrically correct these images. The images ought 
to have been corrected for the effects that the atmosphere has on the radiation, but due to the lack of data that explains 
  
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B7. Amsterdam 2000. 1171