Vegetation dynamics in Alpine glacier forelands tackled from space.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Remote Sensing
• Glaciology

Background:

• Plant succession monitoring in glacier forelands traditionally relies on field sampling.
• Glacier forelands represent unique ecosystems for studying ecological recovery after deglaciation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare in situ vegetation sampling with satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for monitoring plant succession.
• To assess the potential of NDVI for regional characterization of glacier forelands.

Main Methods:

• In situ vegetation sampling along a chronosequence at Jamtalferner, Austrian Alps.
• Analysis of glacier terminus positions using historical maps, orthophotos, and LiDAR data.
• Calculation of NDVI time series from Landsat satellite imagery (1985-2016).

Main Results:

• Vegetation ground cover reached approximately 80% after 100 years of deglaciation.
• Species richness increased to 40-50 species after 100 years.
• NDVI values showed a significant increase over time, correlating strongly with ground cover (R² = 0.84).

Conclusions:

• Satellite-borne NDVI is a valuable tool for regional characterization of glacier forelands.
• NDVI monitoring offers potential for hydrological, ecological, and hazard management applications.
• Remote sensing provides an efficient complement to field-based vegetation monitoring.