Detection of Forest Decline in Monchegorsk Area

Forests on the Kola Peninsula in Northern Russia are growing close to the limits of the northern tree line. They are subjected to both natural (low temperatures and a short period of biochemical activity) and anthropogenic stress factors. The metallurgic industry complex Severonickel close to the city of Monchegorsk in the central Russian Kola Peninsula is one of the major sources of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nickel, and copper emissions in the region. The environmental impact on the surrounding area is dramatic. In this study multispectral changes observed in Landsat-MSS satellite image data from 1978, 1986, and 1992 are used to evaluate the relevance of a mathematical model of SO2 concentration in ambient air as a component for assessment of forest decline. The multispectral changes detected were found to have a statistically significant correspondence to the modeled (SO2) concentration levels in ambient air.