Analysis of Impacts of War on Ecosystems of Protected Areas Ukraine

Abstract

The article presents the results of satellite remote sensing to assess the consequences of hostilities in nature protected areas. Since February 24, 2022, 20% of the nature reserve fund of Ukraine has suffered from the war. The real level of damage to the objects of the nature reserve fund as a result of the war cannot be estimated. After all, active hostilities continue, and restrictions are created for environmental activities in the temporarily occupied territories. Therefore, remote monitoring is the only tool for studying changes in the occupied protected areas and territories on the front line. To analyze satellite data, advanced image processing methods were used, including algorithms for detecting changes and classification based on a series of satellite images of the Sentinel-2A, SkySat and WorldView 01-03 missions, with a spatial resolution of 10 to 0.5 meters. It was found in places of violation of the surface layer of soil by vents, numerous fortifications (trenches, trenches, dugouts), burned out, the tracks were formed due to the active movement of military equipment. The obtained result makes it possible to understand which territories are most affected by hostilities, including the destruction of vegetation, changes in soil cover. The results of the study contribute to understanding the environmental consequences of hostilities and are a valuable tool for managing the environment for post-war recovery in Ukraine.