title: GIS Fuzzy Expert System for the assessment of ecosystems vulnerability to fire in managing Mediterranean natural protected areas.
abstract: A significant threat to the natural and cultural heritage of Mediterranean natural protected areas (NPAs) is related to uncontrolled fires that can cause potential damages related to the loss or a reduction of ecosystems. The assessment and mapping of the vulnerability to fire can be useful to reduce landscape damages and to establish priority areas where it is necessary to plan measures to reduce the fire vulnerability. To this aim, a methodology based on an interactive computer-based system has been proposed in order to support NPA's management authority for the identification of vulnerable hotspots to fire through the selection of suitable indicators that allow discriminating different levels of sensitivity (e.g. Habitat relevance, Fragmentation, Fire behavior, Ecosystem Services, Vegetation recovery after fire) and stresses (agriculture, tourism, urbanization). In particular, a multi-criteria analysis based on Fuzzy Expert System (FES) integrated in a GIS environment has been developed in order to identify and map potential "hotspots" of fire vulnerability, where fire protection measures can be undertaken in advance. In order to test the effectiveness of this approach, this approach has been applied to the NPA of Torre Guaceto (Apulia Region, southern Italy). The most fire vulnerable areas are the patch of century-old forest characterized by high sensitivity and stress, and the wetlands and century-old olive groves due to their high sensitivity. The GIS fuzzy expert system provides evidence of its potential usefulness for the effective management of natural protected areas and can help conservation managers to plan and intervene in order to mitigate the fire vulnerability in accordance with conservation goals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, Ecotekne, University of Salento, Prov.le Lecce Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy. Electronic address: teodoro.semeraro@unisalento.it.
authors.forename: Teodoro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Semeraro
authors.affiliation: Department of Management, Economics, Mathematics and Statistics, University of Salento, Prov.le Lecce Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy. Electronic address: giovanni.mastroleo@unisalento.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mastroleo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, Ecotekne, University of Salento, Prov.le Lecce Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy. Electronic address: roberta.aretano@unisalento.it.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aretano
authors.affiliation: Department of Management, Economics, Mathematics and Statistics, University of Salento, Prov.le Lecce Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy. Electronic address: gisella.facchinetti@unisalento.it.
authors.forename: Gisella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Facchinetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, Ecotekne, University of Salento, Prov.le Lecce Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy. Electronic address: giovanni.zurlini@unisalento.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zurlini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, Ecotekne, University of Salento, Prov.le Lecce Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy. Electronic address: irene.petrosillo@unisalento.it.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Petrosillo
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D004190:Disasters / Q000517:prevention & control; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005103:Expert Systems; D005390:Fires / Q000517:prevention & control*; D065928:Forests; D017143:Fuzzy Logic; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D014507:Urbanization; D053833:Wetlands
keywords: Fire vulnerability assessment; Fuzzy logic; Natural protected area management; Sensitivity and stress indicators