Analysis of time series NDVI for vegetation of Velykyi Chapelskyi Pid for 2010–2015

The time series NDVI index for different types of vegetation of the hearth of Velykyi Chapelskyi Pid of the Reserve of “Askania-Nova” Biosphere are presented in this paper. The data for 2010–2015 were analyzed. The area of Velykyi Chapelskyi Pid is 2,324 ha, and the area of its drainage basin is more than 26 thousand hectares. The area of the bottom reaches 1,000 hectares. The gley soils (solod soils) are typicalfor the bottom of the hearth, and dark-chestnut or leached meadow gley soils are typical for the slopes. This area is characterized by recurrent floods (summer-autumn and winter-spring), and the latest ones have happened much more frequently. Flood inundations of Velykyi Chapelskyi Pid happen every 7 years. The latest flood occurred in February 2010. Another important factor that impacts Velykyi Chapelskyi Pid vegetation isgrazing by ungulates, which are dependents at the “Askania Nova” zoo. The method of principal components was used for the investigation. The numbers of the main components are obtained for the detailed clusters. The time series of NDVI vegetation index analysis of Velykyi Chapelsky Pid showed that dominant and common both for the meadow and steppe vegetation is a period of 173 days, which is close to a six-month cycle.It was also found out that the main components of meadow vegetation of the hearth bottom and its slopes reflected almost identical oscillatory periods, while for zonal (steppe) vegetation these periods were different because of the different biomorphological composition of these groups, and therefore different response to the impact of external conditions (grazing and changes in the hydrogenous mode). This research confirmed thefeasibility of using remote sensing research methods for a more detailed study of dynamic processes occurring in ecosystems. One of these areas is the study and analysis of time series of NDVI index.