Systems approach to estimation of ecological state of shallow waters of the Kiev reservoir via remote sensing data analysis

Abstract

The focus of the study was to assess gradual changes occurring throughout a range of natural ecosystems using Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) time series data. Through analyses of time series data, we found evidence of gradual systematic change in many of the natural vegetation communities. The system method multiobjective optimization was used in the research. The combined GIS and statistical analysis of the shallow waters of upper Kiev reservoir showed that the helophytic macrophyte belt, dominated by common reed (Phragmites australis), has rapidly widened during the last three decades. The approach described in this paper demonstrates that Landsat time series data can be used operationally for assessing gradual ecosystem change across large areas. Local knowledge and available ancillary data are required in order to fully understand the nature of these trends.

Keywords

• ecosystem
• macrophytes
• decoding
• system methods
• multicriteria optimization