Monitoring of vegetation changes in the Special Protection Area of Mounts Tzena and Pinovo, Prefecture of Pella, northern Greece

Remote Sensing Technology was used to determine changes in natural vegetation in the Special Protection Area of Mounts Tzena and Pinovo, in the north-eastern part of the Prefecture of Pella. The study was conducted in the framework of a research programme for the area titled «The Protection of the Environment and Sustainable Development», with the aim to monitor the changes during the decade 1989-1999. Analogical and digital thematic maps of the area, as well as management plans and satellite digital images of LANDSAT TM -5 and -7, were used as data sources. The procedure of detecting the changes during the above period showed different results for the various vegetation types of the area. Beech forests appear to have undergone a small change, whereas the other vegetation types show an apparent reduction in ground cover. Specifically in the case of the various types of rangelands, grasslands show a reduction of 11.2% of the total area they cover, followed by sparsely bushlands with a reduction in ground cover of 6.6%. The appearance of clouds in the satellite pictures was a drawback in their processing. The results of the study show that monitoring changes in vegetation by use of satellite images gives valuable information that could lead to better management measures for the area.