Analysis of the intensity of erosive processes and state of vegetation cover in the zone of influence of the Kolubara Mining Basin

Abstract

Abstract Ensuring the quality protection of geospatial elements entails environmental control, a task unattainable without precise measurement results. This article aims to conduct a spatio-temporal analysis of soil degradation and vegetation status within the influence zone of the Kolubara Mining Basin in Serbia. Remote sensing is employed to assess vulnerability to erosion using the erosion potential method. A geographic information system environment is utilized to generate an erosion map, illustrating erosive processes across different time periods, particularly comparing the present situation (2022) to 1983. Results indicate that observed areas are experiencing erosion due to changes in land use. Furthermore, this study investigates the use of the normalized difference vegetation index to monitor vegetation cover changes from 1992 to 2022. The objective is to demonstrate that these methods effectively depict degradation levels and vegetation status in the area. This comprehensive overview provides insights into the changes occurring across the analyzed years. Such insights are crucial for informing future efforts to restore the region to its natural state prior to lignite mining.