Assessing Vegetation Dynamics in Lingzhi Using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)

Abstract

The assessment of vegetation dynamics using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is crucial for the development of effective strategies for biodiversity conservation and management. Using Landsat images, this article investigates the vegetation dynamics in the Bhutan highlands of Lingzhi between 2010 and 2021. The NDVI measurements were classified into five categories, and
NDVI differencing was used to determine vegetation changes over time. The main objective of the study was to assess vegetation fluctuation, which assists in the investigation of anthropogenic pressure, deforestation, urban development, natural disasters, and regular landscape changes over time. The article discovered a decline in the moderate vegetation class, which was ascribed to grassland nationalization, the legality and regularization of cordyceps collection, and a decrease in illicit cordyceps harvesting. The results highlight the need to adopt image recognition methods and the NDVI index to understand forest changes. These findings can help planners and decision-makers steer sustainable land development in similar places.