APPLICATION OF SENTINEL-2 DATA TO ASSESS SEASONAL VEGETATION DYNAMICS IN THE IALPUG RIVER BASIN, SOUTHERN PART OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

Ecaterina MELNICENCO , Viorica ANGHELUȚA , Iradion JECHIU , Iurie BEJAN

DOI: 10.21163/GT_2027.221.06

ABSTRACT: This study uses Sentinel-2 imagery to characterize seasonal vegetation dynamics in the analysed part of the Ialpug River Basin from March to October 2025. Monthly NDVI, month-to-month NDVI differences (ΔNDVI) and mean NDVI were calculated to describe vegetation greenness, the direction and magnitude of change between observations, and average greenness across the study period. The results show spring greening followed by spatially contrasting changes in early summer. Moderate vegetation cover occupied its largest share in April, while dense vegetation reached its maximum extent in June. The most widespread decline occurred between June and July, when 54.18% of the study area recorded an NDVI decrease exceeding 0.1. Very sparse vegetation reached its greatest extent in September, followed by limited greening in October. The mean NDVI classification placed 69.20% of the study area in the sparse vegetation class and 24.49% in the very sparse vegetation class, indicating predominantly low to intermediate average greenness across the selected observations. These classes do not establish persistent vegetation conditions or directly identify land-cover types. The summer decline coincided with documented regional drought conditions, but the analysis did not separate climatic effects from crop development, harvesting or other seasonal processes. The combined indicators provide complementary information for identifying areas with pronounced seasonal decline or low average greenness. Multi-year observations and independent climatic, land-cover and field evidence are required to determine the causes of these patterns and assess their longer-term environmental significance.

Keywords: NDVI; Sentinel-2; Vegetation dynamics; Ialpug River Basin; Republic of Moldova.

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