ASSESSMENT OF RENATURATION IN ACTIVE AND INACTIVE QUARRIES USING REMOTE SENSING DATA

Surface mining, crucial for supplying raw materials, alters topography, habitat structures, and vegetation cover. Monitoring environmental quality in quarries is complex due to extensive affected areas, cost and time constraints. Vegetation quality and dynamics are often used as crucial indicators for monitoring environmental quality and renaturation. Using remote sensing technologies, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a reliable index for tracking changes in vegetation. We compared active and inactive quarries using NDVI data and climate parameters from the last 10 years in active quarries and for almost three decades (since inactivation) in inactive quarries. NDVI values increased over time in both active and inactive quarries. Quarries surrounded by forest habitats have higher NDVI values overall, but also in only inactive quarries when compared to active quarries. However, quarries surrounded by open mixed habitats (agricultural and steppe lands) have a significantly lower NDVI in almost all instances. Only when comparing active to inactive quarries, NDVI is significantly higher in present moment in inactive quarries. Climate parameters are at most low correlated with NDVI trends. NDVI is low correlated with minimum temperature and direct solar radiation (DSR) in active quarries, while in inactive quarries with precipitation and DSR. This study highlights the importance and efficiency of using NDVI in quarry renaturation monitoring and analysis. Additionally, we consider this study to be a starting point for studies supporting the necessity for biodiversity management measures taken to support quarries’ renaturation.