Characterization of forest recovery from fire using Landsat and SAR data

The Forest fire during May 6-June 4, 1987 in Northeastern China burned 1.14 million hectares of forest and nearly 25 million cubic meters of timber. Landsat (5 and 7) and radar data (ERS and JERS-1) in combination with field measurements, were analyzed in terms of forest destruction and recovery and the results were evaluated. Temporal Landsat data enabled the identification of burned regions and the characterization of forest recovery, but sensitivity after 10 years was gradually lost. While the 1993 (and later) C-band SAR data from ERS cannot identify the fire scars, the 1997 JERS-1 L-band data can be used to characterize the burned area.