Assessment of the state of phytocenoses of quarry-dump complexes by remote sensing

One of the types of anthropogenic activities that leads to negative environmental changes and biodiversity loss is the extraction of minerals within quarry-dump complexes, which requires measures to restore ecological balance following the completion of mining operations. The search for optimal methods to identify disturbed areas, monitor the condition and recovery dynamics of exhausted lands in the context of biodiversity conservation and restoration was the aim of the study, particularly when field research was inaccessible, and there was a need to observe multiple sites simultaneously. This paper presents the results of assessing vegetation cover within territories disturbed by mineral extraction using remote sensing techniques. Methods such as scientific analysis, synthesis, statistical data processing, and the transect method were employed. It has been determined that the analysis and monitoring of Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values, obtained via remote sensing, enable the assessment of the quality of reclamation measures, identification of high-productivity areas, and detection of problem zones for devising effective methods to improve the ecological condition of the studied site. Within the examined Andriikovetskyi quarry-dump complex, the successional stages exhibited heterogeneity, with some areas remaining open without vegetation cover and others characterised by early successional stages and sparse vegetation. The lowest NDVI values were recorded in 2019 and 2022, while between 2020-2021 and 2023-2024, an increase in biomass productivity was observed, with the extent of areas covered by dense and moderate vegetation growing. It was noted that this situation was caused by height differences, surface irregularities, water and wind erosion processes (due to the absence of reclamation measures), instability of the sandy substrate, and a low capacity to supply vegetation with sufficient moisture. The findings of the study highlighted the importance of reclamation measures for post-mining areas and provided practical recommendations for the necessary engineering and technical measures to restore the quarry-dump complex to conditions that are closer to natural ones, promoting the spread of zonal species and self-recovery processes