INTEGRATED OPTICAL AND MICROWAVE REMOTE SENSING FOR SPARSE FOREST COVER MAPPING: A REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS IN KASHKADARYA, UZBEKISTAN
Keywords:
Kashkadarya, Sparse Forest, Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, Data Fusion, SAR, Uzbekistan.Abstract
Sparse forest ecosystems in the Kashkadarya region of Uzbekistan, dominated by mountain Juniper (archazor) and desert Saxaul woodlands, play a critical role in biodiversity and soil stabilization. However, mapping these areas via traditional optical remote sensing remains challenging due to soil background interference and low canopy density. This paper reviews the synergistic use of optical (Sentinel-2, Landsat 8/9) and microwave (Sentinel-1, ALOS-PALSAR) remote sensing data for forest cover analysis. We evaluate various methodologies including data fusion, vegetation indices (NDVI, SAVI), and SAR backscatter coefficients. The review concludes that the integration of L-band SAR with high-resolution optical data provides the most robust framework for monitoring degradation and reforestation efforts in the semi-arid landscapes of Southern Uzbekistan.
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