Evaluation of the influence of disturbances on forest vegetation using Landsat time series; a case study of the Low Tatras National Park

This study is focused on the evaluation of forest vegetation changes that took place between 1992 and 2015 in the Low Tatras National Park in Slovakia, using time series on Landsat 4, 5, 7, and 8 data. Time-series analysis was performed by evaluating the development of six vegetation indices in nine different localities selected based on the type of damage. The CDR (Climate Data Records) of the Landsat data was first normalized using the PIF method, and the trajectories of the used vegetation indices were compared with in-situ data. The area was damaged by both wind and bark beetles that significantly affected the forest vegetation in the Low Tatras National Park at the beginning of the 21st century. The results confirmed the excellent predictive abilities of vegetation indices based on SWIR bands (e.g. NDMI) for the purpose of evaluating the individual stages of a disaster. The use of the Landsat data CDR in the research of long-term forest vegetation changes is of high relevance and perspective owing to the free availability and distribution of the corrected data. Finally, several applications of remote sensing data are proposed for the management and the protection of national parks.