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Impact of Reforestation on Wildfire Severity in California: A GIS-Based Analysis

Authors:
Vivian Sultan
Tyler Kom

Keywords: Wildfire; Severity; Spatial Autocorrelation

Abstract:
California, with its diverse landscapes and increasing wildfire threats, faces a critical challenge in managing the spatial dynamics of tree-planting initiatives and fire risk. This study investigates the spatial relationship between urban tree-planting areas and wildfire-severity zones in California using advanced spatial analysis techniques. By integrating data on fire-hazard severity from CAL FIRE and urban tree-canopy cover from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the analysis employs the Global Moran’s I tool using Inverse Distance, K-Nearest Neighbors, and Fixed Distance Band methods to assess spatial autocorrelation patterns. The results reveal a slight positive spatial autocorrelation, indicating that tree-planting efforts are somewhat clustered in areas with varying levels of fire severity. Significant overlaps are found between tree-planting initiatives and high or very high fire-severity zones, suggesting a potential alignment with fire-risk mitigation strategies. Despite these insights, the analysis is constrained by such limitations as high neighbor counts in the Inverse Distance method and data gaps in the Fixed Distance Band method. Future research should address these limitations by refining analytical parameters and incorporating dynamic data to better understand and optimize the spatial relationship between reforestation efforts and wildfire risks. The findings offer valuable implications for improving tree-planting strategies and enhancing environmental sustainability in the context of wildfire management.

Pages: 1 to 6

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2025

Publication date: March 9, 2025

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-412X

ISBN: 978-1-68558-242-5

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Dates: from March 9, 2025 to March 13, 2025