Investigation of Temporal Changes in Vegetation Cover in Manisa-Akselendi Plain Under Wind Erosion Effect Using NDVI Data

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In previous years, as a result of wind erosion in the Manisa-Akselendi plain in Gediz basin, sand dunes have occurred. At the same time, major environmental damage has emerged because of improper agricultural practices on the area. The areas where the wind erodes and accumulates cover a large portion of the plain. The study was carried out in Manisa-Akselendi plain to investigate the temporal changes in vegetation using landsat satellite images of 1985, 2005 and 2017. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) maps of the area were prepared for these years. According to research that the bare rock, sand and non-plant areas of the study area were 44.66% in 1985, this figure halved in 2005, decreased to 0.58% in 2017. Vegetation areas (NDVI values between 0.1 and 0.5) of the research area were 122.47 km^2 in 1985, then increased to 193.34 km^2 in 2017. Except for the reforested areas, the expansion of intensive drip irrigation agricultural activities in the sand dunes has also had an important effect on these changes.

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Vegetation cover , change , sand dune , wind erosion , NDVI

Journal Of The Faculty Of Agriculture, Suleyman Demirel University

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Journal Of The Faculty Of Agriculture, Suleyman Demirel University