Impact of Hydro-Climatic Changes on Coastal Dunes Landscape According to Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (The Case Study of Curonian Spit)

Research on the Curonian Spit reveals that the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) serves as a reliable indicator for monitoring coastal dune dynamics, showing strong correlations with hydro-climatic factors. The study found moderate to strong positive correlations between NDVI and average wind speed in non-forested ecosystems, as well as between NDVI and Baltic Sea water levels across all studied ecosystems. Additionally, a moderate positive correlation was observed between NDVI and air temperature in forest ecosystems. These findings suggest that NDVI can effectively track the balance between dune overgrowth and open dune formation, providing valuable insights for coastal management strategies amid climate change.

Taminskas, J., Šimanauskienė, R., Linkevičienė, R., Volungevičius, J., Slavinskienė, G., Povilanskas, R., & Satkūnas, J. (2020). Impact of Hydro-Climatic Changes on Coastal Dunes Landscape According to Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (The Case Study of Curonian Spit). Water, 12(11), 3234. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12113234