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10:29. 
STUDIES ON FIRE-DAMAGED AREA IN TURKEY FOR GIS APPLICATION 
Feyza AKYUZ', F.Gónül TOZ**, Ali KÜCÜKOSMANOGLU* 
" Istanbul University , Forestry Faculty Bahcekóy 80895 ISTANBUL 
ITU, Civil Engineering Faculty Masiak 80626 Ístanbul 
Commission IV, Working Group 1 
KEY WORDS : Information System, Forestry, Fire-damaged Area 
ABSTRACT 
Wildfire risk is a major concern in several parts in Turkey, including Aegean district. To be economicaily and 
operationally efficient fire prevention and hazard reduction. eiforts should focus on those damage variable 
resources. Coincidence of several environmental and socretal factors can indicate where wildfire risk may be 
unacceptable and where the majority of effort should be placed. Traditional mapping techniques are cumber 
some to use displaying these areas of high wildfire risk because of large number of factors involved and the 
difficuity of rapid updates. The aim of this study is to implement a Geographic Information System (GIS) which 
provides the technology to integrate, analyze and display large amounts of spatial information in a format that is 
useable for operational decision-making and allows for rapid updates. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
Fire includes many changes in habitat for both 
plans and animals, effecting food cover and 
microclimate . Fire affects in the form of long-term 
or continuing deterioration in the productivity of the 
Soil and sites are difficult to measure but are 
naturally of primary concem to the public. 
Therefore, forest fire not only causes the 
destruction of forest resources, but also destroys 
the balance of ecological system. Forest fire even 
increases the environmental problem, such as air 
pollution, water pollution and erosion. 
Due to development of computer technology, 
Geographic Information System (GIS) can be 
considered for management of 
forestery,geography, urban planning, engineering, 
data processing, landscape architecture,etc. A 
geogragraphic information system is a compound 
of geographic data, computer hardware and 
software, personnel designed to collect, storage, 
manage, query analyze and present large volume 
of spatial data and associated attributes in order to 
allow users to make better decision, to improve 
productivity, to spare time, money and man power. 
A geographic information system provides tools to 
professionals to improve their efficiency and 
effectiveness in working with map information and 
non-graphics attribute data. 
45 
2. DESIGN of GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION 
SYSTEM FOR FIRE-DAMAGED AREA 
2.1. Study Area 
Analysis of forest fire-damaged area was 
conducted the basis information. Research 
materials were gathered aerial photographs, 
conventional maps, forest record files and weather 
records. 98.44 % of forest fires was caused by 
man effects and 1.56 % was induced by lighting in 
Turkey. 
There are many factors that destroy the forest in 
Turkey. The most important one among them is 
the forest fire. The factors are also affective in 
Izmir Forest Directorate Region The study area is 
located west of Turkey. The total area of izmir 
Forest Directorate is 2.489.861 hectares. 3996 of 
this area are covered by forest that is 
approximately 968.078 hectares. 2009 forest fire 
started in this area between the years of 1978- 
1990. Most of those fires are belong in the "A" 
class, which is 1.0 and less than 1.0 hectare. 
The study area is located in izmir (Catalkaya 
working circle) west of Anatolia.Square of working 
circle is 16226.0 hectares. 8714.54 hectares is 
covered Pinus brutia Ten. (calabrian pine) and 
7511.50 hectares is covered unproductive coppice 
and maquis of total area. 
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B4. Vienna 1996