A QUALITATIVE APPROACH TO THE MAPPING OF POSTFIRE REGROWTH IN MEDITERRANEAN VEGETATION WITH LANDSAT TM DATA

This Letter describes a method for using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data to monitor vegetation growth on a large burnt area in northern Sa rdinia. Five different vegetational classes, characteristic of the Med iterranean region are described in which green biomass increased from the herbaceous to the arbustive and arboreal. For each class the value s of the infrared index II (TM4 - TM5)/(TM4 + TM5) were calculated. Th e ability of this index to enhance green biomass differences made it a ppropriate to the monitoring of post-fire regrowth.