The Latin American Remote Sensing and Forest Fires Network

SERENA

Latin American Network for the Monitoring and Study of Natural Resources

During the past 40 years, Latin America experienced an unprecedented process of environmental change, the main causes of which include deforestation, fires, expanding agriculture, climate change, and the globalization of world economy.

In order to study such global change and follow up the conditions of ecosystems, updated information is required, and it is currently developed in various countries using different tools and methodologies

Website: http://www.fuego.org.ar/serena/inicio/inicio_es.html

AQL2004

Burnt Area Mapping in Latin America during 2004

The AQL 2004 project prepared monthly maps of burned areas in the Americas, from Mexico to Patagonia, using MODIS data. This project was divided into 3 different steps: (a) Acquiring and processing satellite data; (b) identifying burned area pixels; and (c) validating results.

In the first step, input data were MODIS 32-day 500 m resolution composites generated by the GLFC of University of Maryland. The identification of burned areas was completed in two stages: 1) "seed pixels" were identified, and 2) maps were prepared. The validation step was based on a visual analysis of Landsat and CBERS imagery. The estimated total burned area during the year was 153215 square kilometers.

CHUVIECO, E., OPAZO, S., SIONE, W., DEL VALLE, H., ANAYA, J., DI BELLA, C., CRUZ, I., MANZO, L., LÓPEZ, G., MARI, N., GONZÁLEZ-ALONSO, F., MORELLI, F., SETZER, A., CSISZAR, I., KANPANDEGI, J. A., BASTARRIKA, A., y LIBONATI , R.: Global Burned Land Estimation in Latin America using MODIS Composite Data, Ecological Applications, vol. 18(1), 2008, pp. 64–79.

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Land use change in the Rio de la Plata Basin: trends, drivers and impacts.

As the global demand for agricultural commodities grows, following the increasing number and per-capita consumption of humans, societies start to realize that the same land ecosystems that provide goods and income are often the source of vital services such as the provision of fresh water or the regulation of atmospheric gases and climate. How are these social signals changing land use patterns across the globe? What are the trade-offs and synergies between the production of commodities and the provision of ecosystem services? How can we optimize both? These questions pose urgent challenges and unique opportunities to global change scientists, particularly in a region like the Rio de la Plata Basin, where the largest and most productive agricultural systems of the continent are experiencing their fastest expansion in history. Our goals in this project are to A. Characterize patterns and drivers of land use change. B. Assess the consequences of land use change. C. Explore land use change feedbacks & plausible scenarios. D. Couple market and environmental interests for land use planning.

Sitio web: http://platabasin.unsl.edu.ar