AIMS OF THE WORK: AIMS OF THE WORK:

To map avalanche risk on the base of topographical and vegetational parameters, in order to get RISK MAPS To evaluate the protective role of the vegetation To understand the avalanche activity of a peculiar site To reconstruct spatial extent of past avalanches
GRASS GIS
Tools

10 E

GIS and DENDROCHRONOLOGICAL GIS and DENDROCHRONOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES for AVALANCHE TECHNIQUES for AVALANCHE HAZARD MAPPING HAZARD MAPPING
46 N
Giovanni COMUNELLO*, Marco BEZZI*, Marco Ciolli*
*Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering- University of Trento (Italy) Via Mesiano 77, 38100 Trento tel. 0461/882625 e-mail: giovanni.comunello@email.it; marcobezzi@inwind.com

STUDY AREAS: STUDY AREAS:

Two avalanche tracks in Pejo Valley: Tof Larch track Val dei Spini track

DENDROCHRONOLOGY

DETERMINATION OF POTENTIAL RISK DETERMINATION OF POTENTIAL RISK INVOLVING FOREST AREAS WITH GRASS: INVOLVING FOREST AREAS WITH GRASS:
Definition of: Definition of:
MORPHOLOGICALAVALANCHE RISK MORPHOLOGICAL AVALANCHE RISK

Tof Larch track

Val dei Spini track

Definition of: Definition of:

POTENTIALRISK POTENTIAL RISK

MORPHOLOGICAL RISK MAP

dependent on: dependent on: TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF GROUND SURFACE GROUND SURFACE

dependent on: dependent on: VEGETATION PATTERN VEGETATION PATTERN (i.e. coverage and density, (i.e. coverage and density, trees per ha.) trees per ha.) Forest Forest Management Management Plan Plan These information are These information are overlayed to obtain the overlayed to obtain the RISK MAP RISK MAP POTENTIAL RISK CLASSES

VEGETATION MAP
categories of the vegetation % species

Digital Digital Elevation Elevation Model Model

aspect map

density, coverage

slope map

TOPOGRAPHICAL CRITERIA
slope: 28 < < 55
1 2 0 3 1 0

DENSITY AND COVERAGE coverage mean number of trees per ha.

minimum surfaces (625

m2)

1 3

trazione

MORPHOLOGICAL MORPHOLOGICAL RISK MAP RISK MAP VEGETATION MAP VEGETATION MAP

class 1 class 1 class 2 class 2 class 3 class 3

> 40 % < 40 %

254 trees/ha 115 trees/ha

slope changes:

10

compressione

Pastures and naked ground

RISK MAP RISK MAP

Slope changes ( 10) inside minimum surfaces (625 m2)

Minimum surface (625 m2)

( 10) Slope change ________

South-East exposition

Tof Larch track

Proceedings of the Open source GIS - GRASS users conference 2002 - Trento, Italy, 11-13 September 2002

Val dei Spini track

TREES IN STUDY AREA: TREES IN STUDY AREA:

SAMPLING

FIELD ACTIVITY: FIELD ACTIVITY:

Tof Larch track, Val di Pejo (ITALY)

October 1999 January 2000

SAMPLING

Val dei Spini track, Val di Pejo (ITALY)

October 2000 December 2001

Visible reactions of trees:

Area extent :

4 ha
zona L2

zo n

new stem formation branch modification harp form suckers

zona

Sampling zones : zone L1, L2, L3, L4

L3

Visible signs due to avalanches: tilting, breakage, scarring,uprooting

Sampling zones : two avalanche paths along the val dei

aL 1

Cored trees : 35 larches (Larix decidua Mill.)

Spini avalanch area. Cored trees : 86 larches (Larix decidua Mill.) 11 alnus (Alnus viridis (Chaix) DC.) Area extent : 18 ha

zona

L4

N
GPS localization of cored trees:
0 100 m

Larix decidua Larix decidua Alnus viridis

WORK PROCEDURE: WORK PROCEDURE:

GRASS GIS ANALYSIS
DEFINE THE EXTENSION OF POTENTIAL RISK SPATIAL CHARACTERIZATION Determination of the extension of potential risk areas and tracks Location of old paths and new potential paths inside the track spatial distribution of dendroecologic indicators delimitation of avalanche tracks having significant activity confirmation of in situ pre-observations

RESULTS AND VERIFICATION: RESULTS AND VERIFICATION:

Tof Larch track Val dei Spini track
1950-51, 1976-77, 1981-82, 1986-87 1951, 1972, 1977 Winter seasons 198586 and 1986-87

avalanches Tof Larch Recorded in Val di Pejo

dated with this work:

avalanche register: Historical notes:

DENDROCHRONOLOGY
zone L3 reconstruct
zona L3

AVALANCHE

TEMPORAL CHARACTERIZATION

zone L1

Starting zone by dendrochronological records

zo

GEOMORPHOLOGICAL AGENT

2280
Frequence of events Lacking historical data
L2
na L1

2300

Starting zone by historical records

damaged trees by 1991 avalanche event

zona

land and vegetation disturbance

in different areas

L4

Tree shape Tree-ring features

Stages of disturbance

zona

N
0 100 m

CONCLUSIONS: CONCLUSIONS:
It is possible to define the avalanche areas in forest It is possible to define the avalanche areas in forest zones, by means of morphological criteria and zones, by means of morphological criteria and vegetational features recognition vegetational features recognition

Stopping zone by historical records

It is possible to update existing avalanche location maps It is possible to update existing avalanche location maps (CLPV) and to create new risk map where informations (CLPV) and to create new risk map where informations are lacking are lacking

GRASS GIS has proved to be GRASS GIS has proved to be effective to produce risk maps, to effective to produce risk maps, to locate new avalanche risk areas and locate new avalanche risk areas and paths and to represent the results of paths and to represent the results of dendrochronological investigations dendrochronological investigations

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

1300
Refine the GIS model, providing more accurate input data Refine the GIS model, providing more accurate input data at the moment not available at the moment not available (local snow conditions, terrain characteristics) (local snow conditions, terrain characteristics)
Stopping zone by dendrochronological records

1270

1991

Proceedings of the Open source GIS - GRASS users conference 2002 - Trento, Italy, 11-13 September 2002