Resumen

ARMENTERAS, DOLORS; GONZALEZ-ALONSO, FEDERICO  y  FRANCO AGUILERA, CAROL. Geographic and temporal distribution of fire in Colombia using thermal anomalies data. Caldasia [online]. 2009, vol.31, n.2, pp.303-318. ISSN 0366-5232.

Spatial and temporal distribution patterns of the thermal anomalies detected by the sensor MODIS are analyzed for the Colombian territory between December 2000 and February 2009. A study of the inter-annual and intra-annual dynamics of the surface affected by fires for different vegetation types is presented in this paper. We also analyze patterns inside protected areas, forest reserves, indigenous reserves and black communities' territories, in order to analyze the possible role as barrier to fires of these management figures in Colombia. Additionally we provide information on the spatial and temporal distribution of fire hotspots in the natural regions, Environmental Authorities and administrative boundaries such as Colombian Departments. The information provided by this type of analysis can be very useful for the decision making in the management of natural resources in the country. The results indicate that annually the Colombian Llanos is the most affected area more by fires, followed by the Caribbean and the Amazonian regions, in particular the Amazon piedmont. These analyses show the potential to identify and to model the distribution of fires in the country and the identification of fire patterns according to the characteristics of the vegetation as well as their management. They can be useful to improve the management of fire risk in the country as well as to understand changes in land use cover occurred in Colombia in the last decade.

Palabras clave : Hotspot; fire; patterns; MODIS; Colombia.

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