Assessment of Forest Recovery After Fire Using LANDSAT TM Images and GIS Techniques: A Case Study of Mae Wong National Park, Thailand

In the last decade, forest fire in South East Asia has drawn attention from international level. Particularly in Indonesia during 1997-1998, it has been reported that 500.000 ha of tropical forests were destroyed in 1998. Loss of forests and effects from greenhouse gases influence the regional and global climatic systems. In Thailand, forest fire annually occur in dry season February till May. In Thailand, half of total forest area is occupied by mixed deciduous and dry dipterocarp forests, which are affected by forest fire almost every year. Up-to-date information in term of post-fire recovery is scarce. Remote sensing, which can provide accurate information and facilitate routine observation in inaccessible areas, has not been considered to assess post-fire recovery. GIS techniques have not been applied to integrate spatio-temporal data. This study attempts to use remote sensing, GIS and field data to assess forest recovery after fire and investigate the relationship between the recovery and environmental conditions in both forest types.