SUMMARY The box tree moth poses a threat to the Anatolian boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) which has significant economic and ecological value in Türkiye. This study aimed to determine the economic feasibility of pest control with solar-powered light-pheromone (SPLP) traps against the box tree moth in the Ağva Forest District of Şile Forest Enterprise, which is the only region in Türkiye with a management plan for boxwood shoot utilization. For the economic feasibility analysis, approaches including net present value, benefit-cost ratio, and the comparison of discounted finite cost of control with the capital value of infinite revenues were used. Considering the revenues of the Şile Forest Enterprise from the sale of the boxwood shoots in a finite period, it was found that pest control with the SPLP traps is not economical, producing a benefit-cost ratio of 0.371 with a net present value of -229,647.10 TL. In addition to the revenue of the enterprise, after taking into account regional income losses, water production value, and the benefits of other non-market ecosystem services provided by boxwood areas, the benefit-cost ratio increased to 2.688, and pest control became economically feasible. It was determined that the capital value of the infinite annual revenues from boxwood shoots was greater than the present value of the pest control costs against the box tree moth in a period.

RESUMEN La polilla del boj, representa una amenaza para el boj de Anatolia (Buxus sempervirens), que tiene un valor económico y ecológico significativo en Turquía. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la viabilidad económica del control de plagas con trampas de feromonas de luz alimentadas con energía solar (SPLP) contra la polilla del boj en el distrito forestal de Agva de Sile Forest Enterprise, que es la única región de Turquía con un plan de gestión para la utilización de los brotes de boj. En el análisis de viabilidad económica, se utilizaron enfoques que incluían el valor actual neto, la relación costo-beneficio y la comparación del costo finito de control descontado con el valor de capital de los ingresos infinitos. Considerando los ingresos de Sile Forest Enterprise por la venta de los brotes de boj en un período finito, se encontró que el control de plagas con las trampas SPLP no es económico, produciendo una relación costo-beneficio de 0,371 con un valor presente neto de -229.647,10 TL. Además de los ingresos de la empresa, considerando las pérdidas de ingresos regionales, el valor de la producción de agua y los beneficios de otros servicios ecosistémicos no comerciales proporcionados por las áreas de boj, la relación costo-beneficio aumentó a 2,688 y el control de plagas se volvió económicamente viable. Se determinó que el valor de capital de los ingresos anuales infinitos de la utilización de los brotes de boj era mayor que el valor actual de los costos de control de plagas contra la polilla del boj en un período.

ABSTRACT Background: Forest fires are one of the most important natural disasters all over the world in terms of the damage they cause to the ecosystem. Turkey is also exposed to wildfires damaging large areas of forests every year. Wildfires endanger the sustainability of forest resources and cause significant biological and ecological damage to the forests. It is crucial to estimate fire behaviour characteristics to take effective interventions in the fire events. Obtaining data based on terrestrial measurements is very expensive and very time-consuming to predict fire behaviour characteristics. The use of remote sensing technologies is therefore very useful since the satellite images will be faster, more sensitive, and economical to determine the burning severity and burning areas. Results: In this study, the forest fire that occurred in the Kastamonu-Taşköprü district was analyzed with remote sensing techniques. The fire occurred in 2020 (06.09.2020). The fire satellite image was thus taken from the pre-fire period (26.08.2020) and post-fire period (13.10.2020). First of all, pre-fire and post-fire Sentinel-2 images of fire areas were used to determine the burned area using NBR (Normalized Burn Ratio) and dNBR (Differenced Normalized Burn Ratio) indices. Also, burned area rate and burn severity were evaluated depending on the altitude, aspect, and slope factors. Conclusion: The total burned area was 1504.9 ha. The maps showed that the burned areas were covered by moderate- and high-severity classes. The forest fire was more severe in the altitude range from 1170 to 1370m, at 20-33% slope and northerly aspects in the burned area. The existence of extreme meteorological factors and the horizontal and vertical continuity of the forest fuels have been the main factors in the effect of the fire on large areas. Estimation of forest fire risk, taking into account extreme meteorological conditions and fuel properties, will have an important place in forest ecology and management.