Assessing seasonal patterns of Water Hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes Mart.) invasion in Samaspur Bird Sanctuary, a Ramsar site using Sentinel-2 data

Invasive alien plant species are ranked among the most devastating factors threatening global biodiversity. Water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) is considered one of the most destructive aquatic invasive species. This study leverages Sentinel-2 time series satellite imagery and Random Forest machine learning algorithm to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of water hyacinth proliferation in the Samaspur Bird Sanctuary, a designated Ramsar site in India. Monthly land cover analysis from June 2023 to May 2024 revealed seasonal variations, with a maximum cover of 3.48 km2 during the post monsoon season of October 2023 and a minimum of 2.00 km2 during the monsoon season of July 2024. Change detection analysis over 2017–2023 continues to reveal a more profound invasion pathway, evidenced by the progressive encroachment on emergent vegetation, terrestrial vegetation, and water bodies. Overlay analysis demonstrated persistent infestations in specific regions, indicating the invasive and resilient nature of water hyacinth. This study not only emphasizes the application of remote sensing in ecological monitoring, but also offers a conceptual framework for prioritizing and implementing specific management interventions to conserve biodiversity in threatened wetlands.