Chorodynamic Mapping of Open Sands in the East of Stavropol Krai

Abstract—The desertification processes that are dynamically occurring in the northeast of Stavropol krai are closely interrelated with climatic conditions, which necessitates the rapid mapping of qualitative changes in the state of open sands in accordance with various scenarios. The mapping has been carried out based on the method of chorodynamic (diachronic) mapping for two periods (July–August 2022 and June–July 2023), and data on the monthly dynamics of open sand areas, precipitation, and dust storms have been used to select time slices. The mapping has been carried out visually based on multispectral satellite images of Landsat for each month. In 2022, 14 dust storms have been registered, in 2023, none have been registered, and days with critical wind speeds have been accompanied by heavy precipitation, in connection with which a significant decrease in the visible areas of open sands has been revealed as a result of overgrowth. Based on the available data, using overlay operations, schemes of qualitative transitions in the test area (part of the Levokum district) corresponding to qualitative transitions in the “dry” and “wet” scenarios have been compiled. Despite the progressive overgrowth of the sands that is stimulated by the absence of dust storms and abundant precipitation in 2023, starting from areas with the lowest sediment capacity, the restoration of the initial plant communities without carrying out phytomeliorative measures has been extremely unlikely due to high anthropogenic load and seed desertification, as a result of which low-value annual crops grow on open sands (weed solyanka, kumarchik, nightshade horned, etc.).