ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF REGIONAL HYDROLOGICAL REGIME ON FOREST VEGETATION COVER USING GIS TECHNOLOGIES (ON THE EXAMPLE OF LACHIN, GUBADLI, AND ZANGILAN REGIONS)

Forests are one of the most important components of the biosphere and represent a resource of immense ecological, economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value. The social and economic functions of forests are diverse. They play a critical role in soil protection, water and climate regulation, and also serve recreational purposes. As an open ecosystem, forests continuously interact with environmental factors that can influence their condition. Therefore, monitoring the state of forests is essential. For this reason, the study focuses on assessing the condition of forest vegetation. For this purpose, the study focuses on the territories of Lachin, Gubadli, and Zangilan districts, using satellite images from 2000 and 2021. The ENVI and ArcGIS programs are utilized to conduct a quantitative assessment. The NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) is employed to analyze forest and vegetation cover, while the MNDWI (Modified Normalized Difference Water Index) is used to assess hydrological conditions. The study primarily investigates the changes in forest and vegetation cover, as well as hydrological status. As a result of the analysis, areas are classified into dry, wet, and water bodies. Changes in dry and wet areas, including increases and decreases in these categories, are identified. Additionally, changes in the state of forest and vegetation cover in these regions are examined. The findings are quantitatively evaluated, and corresponding histograms are constructed to visualize the results.