Journal of Environmental Biology

Application of Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to

suppress wildfire at Bayam Forest, Turkey

M. Tufekcioglu¹*, M. Yavuz¹, G. N. Zaimes², M. Dinc¹, P. Koutalakis² and A. Tufekcioglu¹

¹Faculty of Forestry, Artvin Coruh University, Seyitler-08000, Artvin, Turkey

²Department of Forestry and Natural Environment Management, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Institute of Technology (EMaTTech),

Drama-Mikrohoriou, Drama-66100, Greece

*Corresponding Author E-mail: mtufekcioglu61@artvin.edu.tr

Key words

ArcSWAT model,

Digital elevation model,

Fire management,

Hydrological modeling,

Wildfire suppression

Publication Data

Paper received : 08.06.2016

Revised received : 05.12.2016

Re-revised received : 15.02.2017

Accepted : 09.03.2017

Abstract

Aim: Readily available water resources are a key for wildfire suppression. Hydrologic models are a practical and essential tool for understanding the processes of hydrology and managing water resources, but have not been utilized as frequently for wildfire suppression. The goal of the present study was to use the Soil Water Assessment Tools (SWAT) model to determine whether the stream water could be managed sustainably in wildfire suppression at the Bayam Forest District in Kastamonu Province, Turkey.

Methodology: As an input file, the SWAT model used soils, land-uses, weather data and morphology of watershed based on the Digital Elevation Model (DEM). The model was applied for period 2001-2013 in order to predict the water budget of the study area and major streams within the studied district.

Results: The analysis of the hydrologic water budget indicated that 70% (573.8 mm) of the annual precipitation (822 mm) was lost as evapotranspiration in the basin, whereas 19%, 34% and 47% of the remaining total water yield (234.6 mm) contributed to streams via surface runoff, groundwater flow and lateral flow, respectively. ?

Interpretation: Overall, the result of SWAT model indicated to a certain degree promising findings on the availability of stream water and optimal placement of water reservoir for the use of wildfire suppression.

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