Ground-Based and Satellite Investigation of Production of
Pastures in Kalmykia That Vary in Degree of Vegetation
Degradation

A. N. Zolotokrylin^a, T. B. Titkova^a, S. S. Ulanova^b, and N. L. Fedorova^b

^a Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetnyi per. 29, Moscow, 119017 Russia

e-mail: azolotokrylin1938@yandex.ru

^b Research Institute for Arid Regions, ul. Khomutnikova 111, Elista, Republic of Kalmykia, 358005 Russia

e-mail: bekeevan@yandex.ru

Received September 19, 2012

Abstract—Ground survey of the present state of arid ecosystems in the Chernye Zemli State Nature Reserve,
Kalmykia, Russia, has been performed. The vegetation diversity and the seasonal and year-to-year production
of plant communities in reserved areas and pastures are evaluated. Using MODIS and ETM+/Landsat-7 NDVI
data products, we have studied areal plant production variation, detected areas that differ in the degree of deg-
radation, and assessed correlations between NDVI values and production in plant communities measured using
ground-based methods.

Keywords: pastures, degradation, plant communities, production, NDVI, Chernye Zemli, reserved areas

DOI: 10.1134/S2079096113040136

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