Remote sensing methods for assessing degradation of Armenia’s highland pastures

In Armenia soil degradation is determined by different factors, including overgrazing, and is a grave concern in terms of food safety and sustainable development. Assessing soil degradation is essential to reveal probable consequences and potential management measures. This article considers a possibility of determining degradation related soil surface components (fractional vegetation cover - FVC, bare soils fractions - BSF and surface rock cover - SRC) with help of linear spectral unmixing (LSU) and NDVI-SMA methods, using a QuickBird satellite imagery, and their applicability to assessment and mapping of degradation degree of pasturelands. The results have indicated that LSU and NDVI-SMA methods as applied to a QuickBird satellite image gives a unique opportunity to precisely determine FVC and BSF, whereas the proposed soil degradation assessment and mapping method adequately reflects the actual situation.