ABSTRACT
Vegetation burning is a global scale process and became evident in the geological record soon after the emergence of terrestrial plants. It affects the global distribution and structure of vegetation, the major biogeochemical cycles, and the climate system. A growing body of research suggests the possibility of an increase in fire occurrence and area burned in response to global climate change. Fire plays a complex role in its relation with vegetation. It is a natural ecological factor, important to maintain ecosystem dynamics, productivity, and biodiversity, and is also a land management tool widely used in croplands, rangelands, and forests all over the world. On the other hand, vegetation fires annually affect millions of hectares of forests, woodlands and other vegetation, endangering human populations, originating substantial economic losses in terms of resources destroyed and costs resulting from prevention and suppression activities. Earth observation (EO) satellite image data are characterized by their resolution along four dimensions: spatial, temporal, spectral, and radiometric.
