Vegetation Dynamics with Elevation in Southern European Russia

Abstract

In this research work vegetation dynamics was examined for spring-summer (may–august) season based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroadiometer (MODIS) satellite data generated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) with elevation from 2014 to 2018 in Southern part of European Russia. The resulting divergent groups with respect to decreasing, increasing or no trends presented significant differences in vegetation dynamics and correlation between elevation and NDVI values. Results indicate that in the year 2016, vegetation was highly degraded with low NDVI values from less than 0 to 0.20. In comparing of elevation maximum vegetation was present from 100 to 250 m elevation, below and above this range was very low vegetation. In high elevation from 100 to 250m, low NDVI values slightly shift in high NDVI values, which show healthy vegetation on high altitude. Field observation also conform high NDVI values to high elevation. The MODIS time series with 250m resolution is appropriate for vegetation dynamics study for a large, inaccessible area with low coast, within less time for long term changes in vegetation growth.