Forests burnability in Siberian subregion and post-fire effects according to modern and retrospective satellite surveys

Abstract

The dynamics of fires in the territory of Eastern Siberia (the territory of the Lena River basin in the middle reaches) has been studied with the use of materials from retrospective satellite imagery. The dependence of the burnability of forests in the local territories of Eastern Siberia on the level of heat and moisture supply is shown. The range of the burnability index (the number and area of fires) for the study area under extreme drought conditions was revealed, confirmed by retrospective data. It is shown that potentially the average annual values of the number of fires can be 2.5 times higher than the current statistics. Based on the invariant NDVI and NDWI indices, a range of changes in the characteristics of post-fire areas has been identified, which indirectly determines the level of fire impact on vegetation and the humidification regime.