Mapping fire-induced vegetation depletion in the Peloncillo Mountains, Arizona and New Mexico

Forest depletions caused by fire can be detected by remote sensors if the c hange event causes a change in surface reflective or thermal properties. Pr e and post-fire TM imagery of a semi-arid region was used to map the burn s car of a management-ignited fire into three classes of fire severity. The m ultitemporal imagery was enhanced using several brightness, greenness, and wetness indices. The wetness indices were most accurate at delineating fire severity because fire severity appears related to changes in plant and soi l moisture content. Overall kappa for Kauth Thomas Delta wetness, the TM 7/ 4 index, and the second standardised Principal Component were 0.62, 0.59, a nd 0.61 respectively. The highest overall kappa of 0.66 was achieved using combined Kauth Thomas Delta brightness, Delta greenness and Delta wetness i ndices.