Evaluation of Changes On Forest Road Network Using Uav Photogrammetry In Areas Affected By Forest Fires

Because of the effects of global climate change as well as the hot and dry summers typical of the Mediterranean environment, forest fires have become an inevitable reality in Turkey's southern and western coastal districts. Forest roads are essential for the transportation of harvested goods from burned areas after a fire, as well as for the movement of people and vehicles during a fire. During forest fires, temporary roads may be built in a hasty and improvised manner to contain the fire and then to remove forest products from the area. Accordingly, the density and distribution of forest roads in burnt areas may vary. This study used satellite photos to digitize the forest road network in the Bucak area of Burdur province, in Mediterranean region of southwest Turkey, prior to the 2021 forest fire. UAV photogrammetry was then used to digitize the post-fire situation, which was the outcome of the products being evacuated from the region following the fire. This made it possible to measure how the forest road network in the research region changed both before and after the fire. This study also highlights how effective realistic remote sensing techniques, like UAVs, are at detecting post-fire changes in forest areas.