Remote sensing applied to forest fires in Andean ecosystems: Detection and severity analysis in Cusco
Keywords:
Remote sensing; forest fires; fire severity; Andean ecosystemsAbstract
This research aimed to detect and analyze the severity of forest fires in Andean ecosystems of the Cusco region using remote sensing techniques. A quantitative, descriptive-explanatory, and applied approach was used, based on the processing of MODIS, VIIRS, and Landsat 8 satellite data, integrated into GIS platforms and Google Earth Engine. The methodological design was non-experimental and retrospective longitudinal, based on records from the period 2015–2024. Pre- and post-fire mosaics were constructed from this data, atmospheric masks were applied, and the NBR and dNBR indices were calculated to assess biomass loss with radiometric precision. The results allowed for the delimitation of a study area defined by a 20 km buffer around the largest glacial complex in southern Cusco, where hotspots were concentrated. Furthermore, spectral analysis revealed heterogeneous severity patterns, characterized by high-intensity patches embedded within matrices of moderate impact. Integrating temporal recurrence and severity allowed for the identification of critical zones where fire recurs with greater frequency and impact. In conclusion, remote sensing proved to be a robust tool for understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of fire and providing essential input for risk management in Andean ecosystems.
References
Añamuro, H., Larico, C., Ruiz, C., Monteza, O., & Quiñonez, J. (2020). Análisis de incendios forestales en pajonales andinos utilizando sistemas de información geográfica y teledetección, Macari – Puno. Deleted Journal, 8(2), 30–37. https://doi.org/10.56636/ceprosimad.v8i2.96
Aronés, A., Badia, A., Nadal, J., & Bonnesoeur, V. (2024). Incendios forestales en ecosistemas de la puna húmeda en los Andes de Ayacucho, Perú. Investigaciones Regionales - Journal of Regional Research, 59, 127–147. https://doi.org/10.38191/iirr-jorr.24.014
Boschetti, L., Roy, D. P., Giglio, L., Huang, H., Zubkova, M., & Humber, M. L. (2019). Global validation of the Collection 6 MODIS burned area product. Remote Sensing of Environment, 235, 111490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.111490 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32440029/)
Carrión, V, Correa, L., Malo, H., Ruáles, J., Tumbaco, A., Pisco, M., Panchi, N., Álvarez, L., Benítez, Á., & Loján, J. (2024). Exploring the ethnobiological practices of fire in three natural regions of Ecuador, through the integration of traditional knowledge and scientific approaches. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-024-00699-4
Centro Nacional de Estimación, Prevención y Reducción del Riesgo de Desastres. (2021). Escenario de riesgo por incendios forestales de la región Cusco. SIGRID/CENEPRED. https://sigrid.cenepred.gob.pe/sigridv3/documento/10472 sigrid.cenepred.gob.pe
Claverie, M., Ju, J., Masek, J. G., Dungan, J. L., Vermote, E., Roger, J.-C., Skakun, S. V., & Justice, C. (2018). The Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 surface reflectance data set. Remote Sensing of Environment, 219, 145–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.09.002
Coaguila, L., Mataix-Solera, J. M., Nina, S., García-Carmona, M., & Salazar, E. T. (2025). Soil degradation evidence following a wildfire in Arequipa’s Andean region, Peru. Spanish Journal of Soil Science, 15, 13983. https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/journals/spanish-journal-of-soil-science/articles/10.3389/sjss.2025.13983/full Frontiers Publishing Partnerships
CONIDA – Agencia Espacial del Perú. (2024). CONIDA refuerza monitoreo satelital ante incendios forestales. https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-conida-agencia-espacial-del-peru-refuerza-monitoreo-satelital-ante-incendios-forestales-1001441.aspx Andina
Giglio, L., Boschetti, L., Roy, D. P., Humber, M. L., & Justice, C. O. (2018). The Collection 6 MODIS burned area mapping algorithm and product. Remote Sensing of Environment, 217, 72–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.08.005
González, F., Morante, F., González, A., Bravo, L., Benavidez, C., & Tedim, F. (2024). Assessment of Forest Fire Severity for a Management Conceptual Model: Case Study in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. Forests, 15(12), 2210–2210. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15122210
Howe, A., Parks, S., Harvey, B., Saberi, S., Lutz, J., & Yocom, L. (2022). Comparing Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 for Burn Severity Mapping in Western North America. Remote Sensing, 14(20), 5249. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14205249
Infobae Perú. (2024, 16 de septiembre). Perú en llamas: mapas de actividad y focos de calor; regiones afectadas. https://www.infobae.com/peru/2024/09/15/peru-en-llamas-mira-los-mapas-de-actividad-de-incendios-forestales-y-los-10-mil-de-focos-de-calor-por-region/ infobae
IPCC. (2023). AR6 Synthesis Report—Full Volume. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_FullVolume.pdf
Keeley, J. E., & Pausas, J. G. (2022). Evolutionary ecology of fire. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 53, 203–226. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102320-095612 annualreviews.org
Maxwald, M., Immitzer, M., Rauch, H. P., & Preti, F. (2022). Analyzing Fire Severity and Post-Fire Vegetation Recovery in the Temperate Andes Using Earth Observation Data. Fire, 5(6), 211. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire5060211
Miranda, A., Mentler, R., Moletto-Lobos, Í., Alfaro, G., Aliaga, L., Balbontín, D., Barraza, M., Baumbach, S., Calderón, P., Cárdenas, F., Castillo, I., Contreras, G., de la Barra, F., Galleguillos, M., González, M. E., Hormazábal, C., Lara, A., Mancilla, I., Muñoz, F., & Oyarce, C. (2022). The Landscape Fire Scars Database: mapping historical burned area and fire severity in Chile. Earth System Science Data, 14(8), 3599–3613. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3599-2022
Prudencio, F., Yerson Ccanchi, Saavedra, M., Zubieta, R., Sulca, J., Reupo, J., & Alarco, G. (2021). Potential conditions for fire occurrence in vegetation in the Peruvian Andes. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 30(11), 836–849. https://doi.org/10.1071/wf21029
Roman, M., Zubieta, R., Yerson Ccanchi, Martínez, A., Paucar, Y., Alvarez, S., Loayza, J., & Ayala, F. (2024). Seasonal Effects of Wildfires on the Physical and Chemical Properties of Soil in Andean Grassland Ecosystems in Cusco, Peru: Pending Challenges. Fire, 7(7), 259–259. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7070259
USGS. (2024). Landsat Collection 2—Surface Reflectance & Surface Temperature (Level-2). U.S. Geological Survey. https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/landsat-collection-2
Zubieta, R., Ccanchi, Y., & Liza, R. (2023). Performance of heat spots obtained from satellite datasets to represent burned areas in Andean ecosystems of Cusco, Peru. Remote Sensing Applications Society and Environment, 32, 101020–101020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2023.101020
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Lizbeth Carol Cruz Ledesma, Fray Masias Cruz Reyes
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
CC Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObrasDerivadas 4.0
.jpg)
_de_logo.jpg){kind=logo}
![](https://clustrmaps.com/site/1bhn8" title="Visit tracker"><img src="//www.clustrmaps.com/map_v2.png?d=2WTJsN7QOuRFRD2DOJOZtvZ6v94bxB6RU96I-iXx-_s&cl=ffffff"></a>)
