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Anthropogenic alteration of tropical and subtropical forests is a major driver of biodiversity loss; notably, the Chaco Forest, which is the largest dry forest in the Americas, is among the most impacted regions. Sustainable forest management, a key objective of the UN’s 15th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), underscores the need for advanced monitoring tools. This study integrates Sentinel-2 remote sensing (RS) spectral indices with field data to analyze forests under varying management regimes and levels of alteration in a representative area of the Chaco region (Chancaní Provincial Reserve and surrounding areas of the West Arid Chaco). Forest structure types and conservation levels were linked to monthly spectral index behavior using linear mixed models. Spectral indices such as the BI (Brightness Index), NDWIGao (Normalized Difference Water Index), and MCARISent (Modified Chlorophyll Absorption in Reflectance Index) effectively differentiated forest stands by conservation status and structural alteration. This combined RS and field data approach proved highly effective for detecting and characterizing forests with diverse conservation and sustainability conditions. The methodology demonstrates significant potential as a reliable RS-based tool for monitoring forest health and supporting progress toward SDG targets, particularly in regions like the Chaco Forest, which face extensive anthropogenic pressures.
Details
Desertification;
Sustainability management;
Conservation status;
Biodiversity;
Remote sensing;
Phenology;
Biomass;
Forest conservation;
Land degradation;
Ecosystems;
Dry forests;
Vegetation;
Tropical forests;
Sustainable forestry;
Biodiversity loss;
Hypotheses;
Sustainable development;
Conservation
; Cavallero, Laura 3
; López, Dardo Rubén 3
; Pontieri, Federica 2
; Marzialetti, Flavio 4 ; Riera-Tatché, Ramon 5
; Gamba, Paolo 6
; Carranza, Maria Laura 7
1 Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Forestal Villa Dolores (EEA Manfredi), Las Encrucijadas, Camino Viejo a San José, Km 1 Villa Dolores, Córdoba 5870, Argentina;
2 EnviXLab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Pesche, Italy;
3 Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Forestal Villa Dolores (EEA Manfredi), Las Encrucijadas, Camino Viejo a San José, Km 1 Villa Dolores, Córdoba 5870, Argentina;
4 National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, Italy;
5 EnviXLab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Pesche, Italy;
6 Department of Electrical, Biomedical and Computer Engineering, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
7 EnviXLab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Pesche, Italy;