The state of tree-covered territories of Kreminna community in Luhansk region during the war: satellite analysis
Abstract
Problem statement. As a result of Russia's military aggression, the environment is suffering extensive damage, among which the loss of woody vegetation is one of the most significant. Areas covered with woody vegetation (forests, plantations, gardens, parks, etc.) have camouflage properties, so they are constantly destroyed and damaged by shelling, fires, mines, military vehicles, construction of fortifications, etc.
Analysis of the latest research and publications. Various issues related to the study of the environmental impact of military operations are a complex and large-scale task, so a considerable number of scientific publications with analysis of relevant situations and assessment methodologies are devoted to their study.
The purpose of the research is to monitor and identify the loss of woody vegetation on the territory of the most forested Kreminna territorial community in Luhansk Oblast, where hostilities have been taking place for a long time and are currently taking place.
Material and methods of research. Free Sentinel-2 satellite images and QGIS software were used in the research. It was decided to select the images for 2019-2024 in the period of June-July, when the vegetation is in the active vegetation phase. This approach seems correct and logical, as it provides equal time intervals and covers 3 years before the full-scale Russian invasion and 3 years after. In a generalized form, the procedure of the research methodology can be presented as follows: downloading vector data and satellite images; image preparation; image classification; monitoring the state of woody vegetation.
Results. According to the methodology described above, using the NDMI moisture index, the corresponding raster images were created, which contained only pixels related to trees: healthy, dry, and damaged. Based on the obtained materials, the areas of tree-covered areas of the Kreminna community for the 3 classes of trees were found. All areas with healthy, dry, and damaged trees are clearly identified on the images. It was found that during 2019-2024, the total area of tree-covered territories of the community decreased from 30359.5 hectares to 28636.8 hectares. Particularly severe losses have been detected since the beginning of full-scale Russian military aggression: the total area of tree-covered territories decreased by 1886.5 hectares. At the same time, the area of territories with healthy trees decreased by 6932.5 hectares, the area with damaged trees increased by 6792.4 hectares, and the area with dry trees decreased by 1747.1 hectares due to large-scale fires that occurred there.
Scientific novelty and practical significance. The proposed model for determining the state of woody vegetation in the conditions of full-scale Russian military aggression was first implemented for the territory of the Kreminna territorial community. The surveys conducted allow us to quickly determine the condition of areas covered with woody vegetation and create plans for their restoration. In this regard, they can be useful for authorities at various levels, territorial communities, individual departments, enterprises, and institutions on whose lands hostilities took place or are currently taking place during the Russian-Ukrainian war.
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References
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