Integrated Assessment of Disturbed Ecosystems Using Remote Sensing Technique

Abstract

Introduction. Today, there is a need for a shared vision of restoration of disturbed ecosystems, which is defined as “the process of stopping and reversing degradation, leading to improved ecosystem services and restoration of biodiversity.”
Problem Statement. The assessment and restoration of disturbed ecosystems has become especially relevant for the Ukrainian society now, as warfare has caused large-scale changes in environment and both short-term and long-term consequences for ecosystems in Ukraine.
Purpose. Assessment of ecosystems disturbed as a result of warfare impact by remote sensing.
Materials and Methods. Multispectral satellite imagery, ground truth data and ecosystems characteristics of study area have been used. Remotely sensed data processing, geospatial modelling, and mathematical statistics have been applied.
Results. A warfare impact on the ecosystems of Ukraine has been overviewed. Possibility of using remote sensing methods have been considered; their advantages and disadvantages have been generalized. A demo example of the described technique for assessing the ecosystem conditions along the E40 highway on the west of Kyiv has been shown with the use of multi-time satellite imagery of very high resolution (0.5 m on the ground) between May 2020 and March 2022. The analysis of the obtained maps allows us to assess short-term changes in land cover: a decrease in the area of water bodies, coniferous and leafy plants, an increase in the open soil area. The ecosystem conditions map of the studied area enables identifying plots of high risk.
Conclusions. Integrated remote assessment of the condition of disturbed ecosystems and geospatial analysis of corresponding risks are useful tools for the territory management. Remote sensing techniques are particularly important in the context of largescale warfare. In many cases, only remote sensing techniques can provide information on the condition of ecosystems that are
inaccessible or dangerous for ground-based research. Currently, the proposed approach has been elaborated and tested over other territories, different ecosystems and other data sources. Completed and tested integral geo-information technology will be relevant for the post-war recovery of the territory of Ukraine. Further research should be focused on building a pool of quantitative models for probabilistic assessment of the risk of disruption of various ecosystems under diff erent conditions, as well as on obtaining an array of statistical data to increase the reliability of the resulting maps.