Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa, 2014, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 197-207
Ecological conditions estimation: "normal" arid pastures by MODIS and geobotanical data
A.N. Zolotokrylin
1 , I.A. Trofimov
2 , T.B. Titkova
1 1 Institute of Geography RAS, Moscow, Russia
2 Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (RAAS GNU VIC), Moscow Region, Russia
The main goals of the study include ground-based visual geobotanic evaluation of pastures at key plots routed along the Rostov Region (east) – Kalmykia Republic line, as well as remote registration of these areas’ parameters (NDVI, albedo, surface temperature) by radiometer MODIS. Ground-based evaluation of pastures was accomplished 2-4 August 2012; MODIS data were collected 28 July – 12 August 2012. Two ecological degrees of degradation were considered: 1) first degree (norm) means no degradation or little degradation; it includes “non-grazed”, “non-trodden”, “very slight trodden” and “slight trodden” pastures; 2) second degree (degraded pastures) includes “medium trodden”, “heavy trodden”, “very high trodden” and “scalped type” pastures with ecological degree “risk”, “crisis” and “disaster”. Thus, MODIS parameters were calculated for “normal” pastures and for degraded ones (steppe and desert pastures separately).
Geobotanic route (with quick scope) examination includes plot coordinates calculation, plots geobotanic description and quantitative and qualitative evaluations of ground-level phytomass. Altogether 19 key plots (with two additional plots No. 20-21 near the Black Soils biosphere reserve) were examined. As a result, pastures’ map with ecologic evaluations (level degree “norm” and levels “risk”, “crisis” and ”disaster”) for the territory between 45-47.5° North and 42-47.5° East is plotted. Share of non-degraded pastures (including pastures at arable lands) is 19%. Only 4% of pastures with grade “norm” are localized at arable lands. The share of degraded pastures outside the arable lands massive is about 85%.
Keywords: geobotanical descriptions, degradation of pastures, arable land, ecological level pastures
Full textReferences:
- Vinogradov B.V., Distantsionnye indikatory opustynivaniya i degradatsiya pochv (Remote indicators of desertification and land degradation), Pochvovedeni,, 1993, No. 2, pp. 660-663.
- Zolotokrylin A.N., Klimaticheskoe opustynivanie (Climatic desertification), Moscow: Nauka, 2003, 246 p.
- Zolotokrylin A.N., Titkova T.B., Sputnikovyi indeks klimaticheskikh ekstremumov zasushlivykh zemel' (Satellite climate extremes index drylands), Aridnye ekosistemy, 2012, Vol. 18, No. 4 (53), pp. 5-12.
- Zolotokrylin A.N., Titkova T.B., Ulanova S.S., Fedorova I.L., Nazemnye i sputnikovye issledovaniya produktivnosti pastbishch Respubliki Kalmykii s razlichnoi stepen'yu degradatsii rastitel'nykh soobshchestv (Ground and satellite productivity investigation of Kalmykia’s pastures of different degrees of vegetation degradation), Aridnye ekosistemy, 2013, Vol. 19, No. 4 (57), pp. 31-39.
- Kosolapov V.M., Trofimov I.A., Trofimova L.S., Yakovleva E.P., Agrolandshafty Povolzh'ya. Raionirovanie i upravlenie (Agrolandscapes of the Volga Region. Regionalization and management), Moscow−Kirov: "Dom pechati – Vyatka", 2010, 335 p.
- Kulik K.N., Rulev A.S., Yuferev V.G., Geoinformatsionnyi analiz ochagov opustynivaniya na territorii Astrakhanskoi oblasti (Geoinformation analysis of desertification zones on the territory of the Astrakhan Region), Aridnye ekosistemy, 2013, Vol. 19, No. 3 (56), pp. 91-98.
- Metodika krupnomasshtabnogo geobotanicheskogo obsledovaniya i kartografirovaniya prirodnykh kormovykh ugodii s primeneniem distantsionnykh metodov (Methodology of geobotanic large-scale inspection and mapping natural grasslands using remote sensing methods), 1991, Moscow, RosNIIzemproekt, 117 p.
- Metodika monitoringa prirodnykh kormovykh ugodii s ispol'zovaniem distantsionnykh metodov (Monitoring methodology for natural grasslands using remote sensing methods), 1998, Moscow: RASHN, 66 p.
- Semenov N.A., Savchenko I.V., Dmitrieva S.I., Trofimov I.A., Pastushenko N.F., Metodicheskie rekomendatsii po ispol'zovaniyu materialov aerokosmicheskoi s"emki pri geobotanicheskom obsledovanii prirodnykh kormovykh ugodii stepnoi zony (Guidelines on the use of aerospace survey materials in geobotanical examination of natural grasslands of the steppe zone), Moscow: VASHNIL, 1987, 92 p.
- Trofimov I.A., Metodologicheskie osnovy aerokosmicheskogo kartografirovaniya i monitoringa prirodnykh kormovykh ugodii (Methodological bases of aerospace mapping and monitoring of natural grasslands), Moscow: Rossel'khozakademiya, 2001, 74 p.
- Fedorova N.L., Ulanova S.S., Izuchenie protsessov antropogennoi dinamiki estestvennykh ekosistem s ispol'zovaniem GIS-tekhnologii i materialov distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli (Study of the processes of anthropogenic dynamics of natural ecosystems using GIS technology and remote sensing materials), Government of Kalmykiya Republic. Institute of Integrated Studies of Arid Territories, 2011, No. 2 (23), pp. 28-34.