Agroforestry assessment of protective forest stands using remote data and geoinformation technologies

Abstract

At present, it is not economically feasible to use ground methods for inventorying forest plantations, since the scale and relevance of this process have increased significantly, which requires promptness in solving problems of recognizing protective forest belts from aero and space images and deciphering them. From this it follows that in order to draw up recommendations on forest reclamation measures aimed at increasing the durability of forest plantations, it is necessary to use the available remote sensing data and modern GIS technologies when examining protective forest plantations. The use of modern technologies will allow for a more qualitative assessment of the state of forest plantations in the Volgograd region. The use of the free desktop geographic information system QGIS in research demonstrates a number of possibilities, in particular, deciphering the current state and conducting digital inventory mapping of protective forest plantations based on GIS technologies and aerospace methods. Subsequently, the obtained data will be applied in the development of methods and principles that are scientifically substantiated and aimed at the rational use of resources and the regulation of anthropogenic impacts on the agroforest landscapes of the region. The study was carried out in the southern part of the Ilovlinsky District of the Volgograd region, located in the subzone of chestnut soils on the Kachalino test site. As a result of the study, the use of QGIS made it possible to decipher protective forest plantations in order to determine their spatial distribution, quantity, species and structural composition. On the laid out sites, the main reference schemes of rock mixing were compiled and key signs of protective forest belts were identified during interpretation. The mapping of the forest fund was carried out on the basis of data obtained in the course of visual and instrumental interpretation. The results obtained will become the basis for the development of a regional agroforestry reclamation geoinformation system necessary for updating existing forest maps, monitoring the state of forest plantations and planning various forest management activities aimed at the effective management of the agroforestry fund of the Volgograd region.