Elena V. Fedotova

Spatial pattern of Siberian silkmoth outbreak and taiga mortality

Abstract The latest catastrophic Siberian silkmoth (Dendrolimus superans sibiricus Tschetw.) outbreak occurred in central Siberia during 1994–1996. The relationship between forest stand mortality from insects and topographic features (azimuth, elevation, slope steepness) was analyzed based on a high-resolution digital elevation model, a pest damage map and Terra/MODIS data. It was found that pest-induced forest mortality patterns depend on topographic features. Before the outbreak the major part of host forest species was found within the elevation zone of 150–500 m. After the outbreak, surviving dark-needle stands were found mainly at elevations higher than 400 m. The greatest damage was observed at elevations between 210 and 320 m, whereas maximum mortality was observed at elevations of about 200 m and minimal mortality at elevations of 300 m. With respect to slope steepness, maximum damage for all categories was observed for slopes of 5–20°. Slightly damaged stands were most common at low slope angle (about 5° or less), whereas the highest proportion of stands with high tree mortality was found on steeper slopes. With respect to azimuth, insect damage is mostly uniform, with a small increase in damage on the south-west-facing slopes. The spatial pattern of the silkmoth outbreak can provide a basis for prioritizing Siberian silkmoth outbreak monitoring.

Mapping of Siberian forest landscapes along the Yenisey transect with AVHRR

In this paper NOAA AVHRR data acquired at the Sukachev Institute of Forest in Siberia, Russia is evaluated for forest management mapping applications. First a classification of the entire 1000km 2 3000km transect was performed, but was found to be too general to be of value. More useful interpretation procedures require a landscape-ecological approach. This means that computer classification should be made separately for segments of territory based ecologically distinct regions. This segmentation of the transect into ecological regions was found to improve the level of detail available in the classification. Using this approach AVHRR data were found to be adequate for small scale mapping at the level of vegetation types or plant formations. A limited study using AVHRR data for classification of mountainous regions showed that AVHRR-derived maps were more detailed than existing landscape maps. AVHRR derived classifications also compared favourably to larger scale forest management maps of softwood and hardwood forests. Current forest management in Siberia relies on very small-scale inventory maps. Thus, there is a potential role for AVHRR (or Terra) data for northern Siberian forest monitoring. The southern forests of the Yenisey meridian (below the 57th parallel ) are less uniform due to considerable human activity, and NOAA/AVHRR data will play a subordinate role in its monitoring.

Spatial and temporal dynamics of Siberian silk moth large-scale outbreak in dark-needle coniferous tree stands in Altai

The spatial and temporal dynamics of fir stands damage caused by a large-scale outbreak of the Siberian silk moth (Dendrolimus sibiricus Tschetv.) in the Altai Mountains has been studied using remote sensing and GIS methods. It is ascertained that forest damages are dissimilar relative to the surface features. The pest outbreak initially occurred on the southwest slopes with mean values of 10° and elevation of 400 m asl. The damages further extended both upward and downward, involving slopes of high steepness and the eastern exposure. The total area of the dead stands comprised 6000 ha, 45% of which were lost due to secondary pest (xylophagous insects) attacks. It is indicated that the use of remote sensing made it possible to determine the beginning of a pest outbreak with one-decade precision. The Siberian silk moth large-scale outbreak occurred against an increase in air temperatures, a decrease in precipitation, and a reduction in late frosts. The tree plants weakened by the Siberian silk moth and water stress were affected by xylophagous insect attacks. The observed and predicted warming and climate aridity increase will facilitate Siberian silk moth outbreaks both within its range and northward of the current margins of the range.

Change in the Structure of the Hydrological Cycle in Connection with the Age and Recovery Dynamics of Forest Ecosystems

On the basis of the concept of the effect of landscape structure on the water regime of a territory and on the remote sensing data for the basins of rivers on the northern macroslope of West Sayan, the land-scape hydrogeological classification of natural complexes was made and evaluation of their hydrological functions was carried out. Against the background of general altitudinal belt regularities, local features of the distribution of water balance characteristics were revealed.

Spatial-Temporal Dinamics of Siberian Silkmoth Outbreak in Dark Needle Coniferous Forest in Altay Mountains

The aim of the work is to analyze the possibilities of remote sensing data of medium and high spatial resolution to study the dynamics of fir stands damage by Siberian silkmoth in the Republic of Altai. The outbreak of Siberian silkmoth occurred in 2010-2014. Landsat and Resurs-P Geoton multispectral images were used. Estimations of the damaged forests area and its landscape parameters were made, using the ASTER digital elevation model. The first significant damage and mortality of dark coniferous forests occurred on the slopes of the southwestern exposures, then in the following years, the death of stands spread to the lower and upper portions of the slopes and at least partially warmed the eastern slopes. The area of dead stands is about 6 th. ha. Spectral characteristics of healthy and damaged forest stands on Landsat images most significantly differ in the mid-IR range of 2.11–2.29 microns for Landsat8 OLI (channel 6) or 2.08–2.35 microns for Landsat7 ETM + (channel 7). Interpretation of high spatial resolution Resurs-P Geoton data allows to allocate the area of partial stands damage. Estimated area of partial damaged forests – about 8 th. ha. The most informative is the near-infrared range.

Impact of Gold Mining on Middle Siberian Taiga Landscapes from Landsat 7 Data

A Russian-American research team investigates the impacts of long-term intensive working of gold deposits on landscapes in the Middle Siberian taiga. These impacts include the displacement of bedrock and alluvial deposits, deforestation, and increasing fire incidence. Landsat 7 satellite imagery and field data were used in assessing the information yield of satellite scanner channels in the process of classification of the registered images. A schematic electronic map was constructed that shows zones of gold mining, predominant vegetation species, cutover and burned areas, and natural and artificial water bodies.