Seasonal and Long-Term Water Regime Trends of Cheremsky Wetland: Analysis Based on Sentinel-2 Spectral Indices and Composite Indicator Development

Wetlands are critically important ecosystems, but their dynamics, especially in complex regions such as the Ukrainian Polissya, remain poorly understood. This study focuses on the Cheremsky Nature Reserve, an internationally important wetland, to assess long-term (2017–2024) seasonal (spring-summer)...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Oleksandr Melnyk, Ansgar Brunn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Remote Sensing
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/14/2363
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Summary:Wetlands are critically important ecosystems, but their dynamics, especially in complex regions such as the Ukrainian Polissya, remain poorly understood. This study focuses on the Cheremsky Nature Reserve, an internationally important wetland, to assess long-term (2017–2024) seasonal (spring-summer) trends in water surface conditions. Using Sentinel-2 data and the Google Earth Engine platform, 14 spectral water indices were calculated. Their temporal trends were analyzed using Sen’s method, mutual correlations, and principal component analysis (PCA) to identify the main patterns of variability. Based on the normalized trends and weights obtained from the first two principal components, an integral composite index (CI) for spring and summer seasons was developed. The results revealed seasonal differences in the behavior of the indices and their contribution to the principal components, as well as spatial differentiation of water regime trends within the reserve. The proposed CI allows for an integrated assessment of the long-term dynamics of the wetlands, which is important for the development of conservation and management strategies.
ISSN:2072-4292