Azov-type spits: long-term monitoring of morphodynamics and vegetation in response to changing environment

Meteorological data for NA shows a consistent climate change trend, including rising annual surface temperatures (1.14 ± 0.3 °C/100 years) and increased annual precipitation (98 ± 35 mm/100 years) over the last 120 years. Recent decades have witnessed intensified aridization, with up to a 15% drop in precipitation and a 0.8 °C per decade temperature increase, accompanied by increased evaporation. Our study reveals the ongoing transformation of ATS and their vegetation, primarily driven by inundation, aggravated by climate change and rising sea levels. ERS tools demonstrated their effectiveness in monitoring environmental changes under challenging circumstances, identifying general trends in the state of plant communities and validating our earlier forecasts for changes in vegetation cover. The increase in the area of halophytic meadow and marsh plant communities occurred alongside a certain decrease in their productivity, while the reduction in sandy-steppe plant community areas was accompanied by an increase in their productivity. The study provides a complex evaluation of the current anthropogenic impacts on the spits and their vegetation.