Vegetation cover dynamics of Russia and Mongolia border territories

Abstract

Desertification is one of the most complex environmental problems in the Central Asian region. In addition to climatic factors affecting land degradation, in the border territories of Russia and Mongolia the intensification of desertification processes is influenced by human activities. A cartographic analysis of meteorological parameters, as well as vegetation state and dynamics spatial distribution based on the NDVI, was carried out. Dry zones occupy 65% of the area of Russia-Mongolia border territories. The prevailing climate zone is a semi-arid. The features of the dynamics of vegetation in the wet (1982-1999) and drought (2000-2015) periods are revealed. In the period from 1982 to 2015 a positive trend of NDVI is observed for 78% of the border areas and negative is for 22%. During the wet period the area of negative trends for both Russia and Mongolia amount 1.5% of the territory, primarily due to deforestation. The drought period is characterized by a nearly twentyfold increase in the areas of negative NDVI trends for the whole border territory. The analysis of the correlation of meteorological parameters and vegetation revealed that in drylands with negative NDVI trend, climate-induced desertification covers 63%, and anthropogenic 37% of the total area affected by desertification.