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collected with the GPS, transforming them from central 
projections into geometrically correct orthogonal projections. 
The images treated in this way can be used for calculating 
surfaces,overlaying vector and raster elements relevant to 
tem, theme imput and handling inside a GIS. The data 
originating from the survey with the GPS was also processed 
by software HIFI (commercialised by SISCAM) which enable 
to carry out three dimensional designing. 
Data transfer Into the Forestry Informatic System 
The data gathered and processed in the way described above 
was further handled with the aim to be taken out and stored in 
the Forestry Informatic System of the Emilia-Romagna 
Regional Administration. This is a GIS, partly autonomous, 
but interconnected, of the Regional Informatic System (SIR) 
operating on PC in ARC-View within which, not only data- 
base from SIR is stored data (point) originally from the 
Regional Forestry Inventory ,but the limits and aspects of the 
parks and of the State reserves and forests. 
The transfer of GPS data from rover to ARC-View is done in 
various stages: 
1) the transfer of data from rover to PC by means of software 
Pfinder supplied with the GPS system, 
2) the differential corrections in automatic of data gathered 
though the software Pfindet; 
3) the eventual manual corrections of corrected dala using, 
software Pfinder; 
4) the transfer from the format by means of software Pfinder 
to the format ARC-Info’ 
5) the transfer from the format to ARC-Info to the format 
ARC-View by means of the software ARC-Info; 
6) the orthoimeges produced by the ORTHOMAP system are 
in format TIFF and therefore directly readable by ARC-View. 
Results 
Examining closely each single objective, the results can be 
summarised as: 
- the areas ravaged by fire were easily mapped and the 
topographic precision of the survey was verified and assessed 
extremely satisfactory up to the 1:5.000 scale even if no post- 
optimisation of the surveyed tracks was used; 
- a file, relative tothe forest fire survey, used by the command 
station of the CFS, was implemented in the rover without 
much difficulty, using directly the data editor inside Pfinder. It 
was also noticed the uselessness of a great part of this file, for 
the survey in the country, which in the GPS survey could be 
simplified in the parts conceming the fire protection 
procedure and a major data input (also points) of station 
descriptions could be acquired; 
- the survey of the two areas carried out on two separate days, 
for a total of 10 complesive working hours in the country, 
Was: 
6 hours for the survey of the Sibano area, more complex in 
form and so with longer boundaries to be covered end not 
easily accessible forastry topsoil; 
4 hours for the Tabina survey, more regular in form and 
almost entirely covered with degraded shrubby topsoil making, 
It more accessible. 
The survey time takes in: 
1) the apparatus preparations and setting off from the base; 
2) the reaching of the area to be surveyed, 
  
> This and the following operation can be automatic using 
the option PathFinder 3.1 and Arc-View 2.1 it is, 
however, inconvenient as it is impossible to transfer the 
feature. 
3) the mounting-up of the rover components and control of 
their functioning, 
4) the marking out of the fire boundaries (which was done 
covering, on foot, the external perimeter of the burnt up areas 
and their "zoning", taking into consideration the cultivation 
typology which previously existed; 
5) the return to the stand whilst monitoring the track 
conditions; : 
6) the dismantling of the rover components and the recharging 
of the batteries and datalogger; 
- the complex orographical situation of the territory (steeply 
sloping, extremely irregular and numerous accessibility 
problems, above all, in the Sibano area) did not influence the 
time factor of the survey. Neither was the apparatus limited by 
these factors. The capacity of the technician to work in 
difficuk conditions, keeping constant attention to the controls 
of the instrument, resulted decisive; 
- the number of people involved in the country survey, was 
over estimated in respect to the real needs. An optimal team 
could be made up of two people, a GPS technician and the 
other as a back-up and guide; 
- the GPS survey presents the same problematic and time 
factor for rapid ground survey and this kind of survey seems 
to have the same operative limits. The minimüm dimensions, 
similar to those surveyed in this work, seemed ideal for 
monitoring without a too accurate planning of the mission, 
Larger or more difficult areas, however, necessitate an 
accurale survey programme from an operative view-point to 
the logistic one; 
- the pre-processing and correction of the data system did not 
result particularly complex and is well handled by Pfinder. 
The major difficulties were, on the contrary, found in the 
corrections of the precision and in the transfer of data in 
format GIS. These changes were not completely tolerated by 
the program and needed the continuous intervention of the 
technician. Other limits were found in the impossibility of 
direct data transfer from by Pfinder lo ARC-View. This limit 
made us adopt the specific mode of ARC-Info and hence 
work stations and technicians would be able to manage them; 
- the data processing was carried out, each time, on return 
from the country survey, by a technician with informatic skills 
adequate to working with Pfinder and ARC-View (in PC 
297 
mode) and capable of some work on ARC-Info. During the 
course of en hour, corrected surface data was collected 
(processing entirely done on Pfinder) while the emission of 
data in ARC-View and cartographic processing required three 
hours for the Sibano area and two and a half hours for 
Tabina; 
- the format TIFF was defined as the digitizing and archiving 
format of photographic material which permits the collection 
of digital material to run on PC without reducing the 
informative content; 
- a digital terrain model was set up starting from GPS data and 
through this the archived photographic material was corrected 
end georefenced; 
-a complex quering of the archived photogrammes was likely 
because it was possible to relate between them, and with other 
types of dala; 
- an orthophotomap was drawn on 1:10.000 scale of the areas 
covered by forest fire to be used in the studies of the 
dynamics of fire propagation 
After data processing ,the following were obtained: 
8) the amplitude of the areas and their boundaries which were 
transmitted immediately to ‘CFS to be confronted with the 
results from previous reconnaissance carried out; 
b) a group of territorial elements corrected and ready to be run 
on GIS; 
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B4. Vienna 1996