Fuel type classification in the Mediterranean basin context: state of the art and future research

Knowledge of fuel distribution and its characteristics are essential for fire models and fire management system especially in the Mediterranean Basin where fires are an essential environmental task. Several fuel type classifications have been developed worldwide. Each of them fit the specific vegetation characteristics and the adopted fire model for the specific country. Efforts to develop a unique fuel schema in the Mediterranean Basin shown that is quite complex because of the structural heterogeneity and complexity of the plant community. So a well based methodology to describe and map fuel in Mediterranean is needed. A first application of the methodology will be Italy. It will be based on a pattern approach at regional and local scale, obtained by different data cross. Earth observation data, in particular radar and infrared, will be used to build up index. Further research will be conducted.