Landsat-based indices reveal consistent recovery of forested stream catchments from acid deposition

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00025798%3A_____%2F20%3A00000110" target="_blank" >RIV/00025798:_____/20:00000110 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/86652079:_____/20:00525414 RIV/00216224:14310/20:00115819

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/12/1944" target="_blank" >https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/12/1944</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs12121944" target="_blank" >10.3390/rs12121944</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Landsat-based indices reveal consistent recovery of forested stream catchments from acid deposition

Original language description

Central European forests suffered from severe, large-scale atmospheric depositions of sulfur and nitrogen due to coal-based energy production during the 20th century. High deposition of acid compounds distorted soil chemistry and had negative effects on forest physiology and growth. Since 1994, continuous data on atmospheric deposition and stream runoff fluxes have provided evidence of ecosystem recovery from acidification. In this study, we combined for the first time mass budget data (sulfur deposition and total dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) export) from the GEOMON monitoring network of headwater catchments with annual trajectories of vegetation indices derived from Landsat remote sensing observations. Time series of selected vegetation indices was constructed from Landsat 5, 7, and 8 using Google Earth Engine. Linear regression between the field data and vegetation indices was analyzed using R software. Biogeochemical responses of the forested catchment to declining acid deposition (driven by SO2 emission reduction) were consistent across all catchments covering various forest stands from different regions of the Czech Republic. Significant correlations were found with total sulfur depositions, suggesting that the forests are continuously and consistently prospering from reductions in acid deposition. Disturbance index (DI) was the only vegetation index that was well-related to changes in forest cover associated with salvage loggings (due to the forest decline) during the 1980s and 1990s. A significant relationship (R2 = 0.82) was found between the change in DI and DIN export in stream water. Regrowth of young forests in these highly affected areas tracks the most pronounced changes in total DIN export, suggesting a prominent role of vegetation in nitrogen retention. With the Landsat-derived DI, we could map decennial changes in forest disturbances beyond the small scale of the catchments to the regional level (demonstrated here for two protected landscape areas). This analysis showed the peak in forest disturbances to have occurred around the mid-1990s, followed by forest recovery and regrowth. Despite the improvement in forest ecosystem functioning over the past three decades in mountainous areas, emerging threats connected to changing climate will shape forest development in the near future.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

20705 - Remote sensing

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2020

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Remote Sensing

ISSN

2072-4292

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

12

Issue of the periodical within the volume

12 : 1944

Country of publishing house

CH - SWITZERLAND

Number of pages

19

Pages from-to

nestránkováno

UT code for WoS article

000550371300001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85086987797