Zoning areas prone to fire occurrences in the forest ecosystems of North Zagros (Case study: Sardasht forests in West Azarbaijan)

The ecological balance in nature is integrated with forest safety. Wildfire causes irreparable effects on the ecological functions of the forest and disrupts the production of oxygen and carbon sequestration, reducing biodiversity, expanding pests and diseases, and eventually breaking the balance of nature, which is the unique role of the forest. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting the occurrence and zoning of fire hazards in Sardasht forests in the area of 1784.8 hectares to achieve control and counteraction strategies. At first, layers of elevation, slope, aspect, precipitation, temperature, organic carbon, soil texture, and vegetation cover were mapped for the study area. AHP was used for prioritization, evaluation criteria, and weighting of the layers. Finally, the classifications of the layer were done using GIS, and hazard scores were classified at four classes included; Safe, low risk, medium risk, and high risk. The results showed that 12.7% of the study area is at high risk, 39.9% has moderate risk, 31.9% is in the low-risk area and 15.5% is located in the safe area. Also, the Angstrom index was showed that wildfire occurring has maximum possibility between June to September. It was also found that the north-east of the study area is more at risk of fire due to the denser vegetation than other areas. The minimum fire hazard was observed in the north, part in the south, and the narrow strip in the central regions of the study area.