Use of Ground and Satellite Observations in the Analysis of Forest-Hydrological Processes in the Catchment of the Amur River

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630*(556.5.06+528)

DOI:

10.17238/issn0536-1036.2017.6.9

Abstract

Long-term studies of scientists confirm the effect of forest cover reducing on changes in the water regime of rivers. We should study and assess the regime of rivers in conjunction with the analysis of data of forest-covered area of river watersheds for synchronous periods of time. However, this is complicated by poor knowledge due to the rare network of hydrometeorological observation points, as well as by irregular forest management works related to the inaccessibility of river basins, which is inherent to the great territory of the Far East of Russia. We have the possibility to conduct such studies at a new level based on satellite vegetation mapping using the classification algorithms due to the development of methods and technologies for remote sensing of the Earth and GIS. The advantage of this approach is the possibility of annual monitoring of changes in forest cover during the vegetation period, including hard-to-reach areas. At the same time, inaccuracies that may occur in various statistical and reporting materials of the forest inventory are excluded. We present the results of studies conducted in the basin of the Amur river with the use of meteorological and hydrological observations and remote sensing data for the period of 2000-2013. Hydrological information is obtained from the web-service of the Center of the Russian Register of Hydraulic Structures and the State Water Cadastre; satellite information on vegetation - from the VEGA DV service. Meteorological data include databases containing climatic indicators of the territory (Project ISTC no. 4010). The vector data of the watershed boundaries are obtained by means of the geographic information system ArcGIS from the high-altitude data of the relief SRTM3. By the example of three rivers (Bureya, Bolshaya Bira, Amgun) of the Amur river basin we demonstrate the synchronous dynamics of the highest annual high water levels and the variability of forest areas of catchments as a result of fires and felling. The present state of forest hydrological studies in the Far East in the Amur river basin is given. The authors draw conclusions about the significant influence of long-term forest clearance in this region on an increase in the annual maximum of rainfall floods. A “basin” method for determining the indicator of forest cover in catchments of rivers using remote sensing technologies of the Earth is proposed.

Authors

G.V. Sokolova1, Candidate of Geographic Sciences
A.L. Verkhoturov2, Research Officer
V.A. Egorov3, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

Affiliation

1Institute of Water and Ecological Problems, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Dikopol'tseva, 56, Khabarovsk, 680000, Russian Federation; e-mail: pozhar@ivep.as.khb.ru
2Computing Centre, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Dikopol'tseva, 56, Khabarovsk, 680000, Russian Federation; e-mail: andrey@ccfebras.ru
3Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Profsoyuznaya, 84/32, Moscow, 117997, Russian Federation; e-mail: smis@smis.iki.rssi.ru

Keywords

watershed of rivers of the Amur river basin, highest annual high water level, forest cover, satellite mapping, GIS

For citation

Sokolova G.V., Verkhoturov A.L., Egorov V.A. Use of Ground and Satellite Observations in the Analysis of Forest-Hydrological Processes in the Catchment of the Amur River. Lesnoy zhurnal [Forestry journal], 2017, no. 6, pp. 9–22. DOI: 10.17238/issn0536-1036.2017.6.9

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Received on May 18, 2017