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ISSN 2070-7401 (Print), ISSN 2411-0280 (Online)
Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa
CURRENT PROBLEMS IN REMOTE SENSING OF THE EARTH FROM SPACE

  

Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa, 2026, V. 23, No. 1, pp. 205-218

Spatio-temporal dynamics of spectral indices and production in mountainous landscapes of the Republic of Tyva (2000–2024)

Kh.B. Kuular 1 
1 Tuvinian Institute for Exploration of Natural Resources SB RAS, Kyzyl, Russia
Accepted: 26.11.2025
DOI: 10.21046/2070-7401-2026-23-1-205-218
The study presents a comprehensive analysis of the dynamics of vegetation indices NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index) and net primary production (NPP) in the Republic of Tuva from 2000 to 2024, explicitly accounting for recent climate changes. We used the LANDSAT/COMPOSITES/C02/T1_L2_ANNUAL_NDVI and LANDSAT/LC08/C01/T1_8DAY_NDWI satellite collections, along with NPP data from the MOD17A3HGF product (500 m resolution). The digital relief model Copernicus GLO-30 (30 m) was used to identify the altitude zones (500–1000, 1001–1300, 1301–1700, 1701–2200 and 2201 m above sea level and more). Analysis of climate data (ERA5-Land) revealed a steady warming (+0.46–0.62 °C) throughout the territory, accompanied by a decrease in relative humidity (up to –2.53 % in the 1001–1300 m belt), an increase in precipitation (from +18 mm (500–1000 m above sea level) to +44 mm (2200 m and more)), and a stable evaporation rate. Against this climatic backdrop, a statistically significant (p < 0.05) “greening” trend is observed across all altitudinal zones, with consistent increases in both NDVI and NPP. The maximum increase in NPP was recorded at elevations of 1700–2200 m. a. s. l., amounting to +540 gC•m-2•yr-1 with an NDVI increase of 0.198, indicating an active upward shift of the upper forest boundary. At elevations of 1300–1700 m. a. s. l., the increase was +268 gC•m-2•yr-1 (ΔNDVI = +0.191), and at 500–1000 m. a. s. l., it was +281 gC•m-2•yr-1 (ΔNDVI = +0.142). This growth is likely attributed to improved moisture conditions resulting from permafrost degradation. However, ecosystem responses are spatially heterogeneous: NDWI trends show increasing moisture in the North-Tannuolsky and South-Tannuolsky forest districts, but significant (p < 0.05) declines in water availability in the West-Sayan, Kaa-Khem, and Khemchik-Kurtushibinsky districts. These findings support the hypothesis of climate-driven transformation of altitudinal vegetation structure: warming and increased precipitation promote forest expansion into high-elevation zones, while declining humidity intensifies water stress in specific low- and mid-elevation areas.
Keywords: NDVI, NDWI, NPP, elevation zones, remote sensing
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