Satellite monitoring of a pine forest affected by mountain pine beetle

Abstract

The spread of bark beetles poses a significant threat to forest ecosystems, causing substantial damage to coniferous forests. The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus spp.) is considered to be one of the most harmful bark beetles, infesting pine trees and leading to severe consequences for forest ecosystems. This article aims to detect and analyze the dynamics of mountain pine beetle infestation in a pine forest stand, determine its affected area, and evaluate the effectiveness of sanitary and restoration measures. The study utilized satellite data from the Sentinel-2 mission and employed the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) to monitor the spread of mountain pine beetle infestation. The analysis was conducted for a pine forest stand in the Ostriv Forestry of the Vyshchedubechanske Forestry Enterprise in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of using satellite data and vegetation indices for monitoring mountain pine beetle infestation. The combined application of NDVI and NDMI enabled the detection of infested areas in the early stages by capturing changes in the spectral characteristics of tree crowns and vegetation moisture content. The satellite data analysis confirmed the complete infestation of a 0.01 km2 pine forest stand by the mountain pine beetle in 2017. A link between the activation of beetle spread and climate changes, particularly rising temperatures and decreasing precipitation, was observed, leading to the weakening of pine stands. The study revealed that in 2018, sanitary felling of the infested pine stand was carried out, as evidenced by the decrease in NDVI values. In 2019, a project to restore the forest ecosystem through the establishment of a new pine plantation was initiated. Satellite observations in April 2024 demonstrated successful growth of the young pine forest, with NDVI values indicating an increase from 0.25 in April 2020 to 0.45 in April 2024, reflecting active vegetation growth and successful ecosystem restoration. The obtained results highlight the importance of using satellite data for timely detection of pest outbreaks in forest ecosystems, determining the extent of infestation, monitoring the effectiveness of sanitary measures, and assessing the recovery of forest stands after restoration efforts. The study underscores the potential of satellite remote sensing techniques in forest ecosystem monitoring and supports decision-making processes for sustainable forest management.