ITU A|Z
VOL: 8 NO: 2 80-90 2011-2
University of
Cukurova, Department of Landscape Architecture, Balcalı/Adana, TURKEY
Received: April 2011 Final Acceptance: August 2011
Abstract
Abstract
The major objective of
this research wasto model the current spatial distribution of: i) Net Primary
Productivity (NPP); ii) Erosion; and iii) Forest fire risk to assess and
understand the environmental risk pattern. These outputs were incorporated and
evaluated within a GIS environment using multi-criteria analysis (MCA) to derive
environmental risk pattern of Seyhan Watershed.
One of the spatial models used in this study is Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach
(CASA), developed by NASA and Stanford University. This model is a
biogeochemical approach which designed to model annual NPP amounts to predict
carbon budgets at regional scale using satellite images and climate data
including, air temperature, precipitation and solar radiation. Also, aFire Risk
Model is used to derive regional forest fire risk in GIS environment. This model
utilises topography-related information and climate data in MCA process. And
last, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is used to predict soil
loss potential on a statistical basis.
The current spatial distribution of climate data were generated from 48 climate
stations in and around the study area using co-kriging. Environmental risk map
was produced using the outputs of NPP, erosion and forest fire risk modelling
with MCA and land cover data.