Changes in vegetation cover by using NDVI in the territory of Sumadija Administrative District (Central Serbia)

The study includes an analysis of the vegetation cover on the territory of the Sumadija Administrative District (Central Serbia) from 2002 to 2024. Vegetation analysis was performed using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in QGIS software. The method was used to identify grounds without vegetation and six distinct vegetation types were covered, with the goal of analyzing their changes in the study area. The research analyzed four Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 satellite scenes recorded in 2002, 2011, 2017, and 2024. Using the obtained NDVI values, vegetation types were mapped, and the area covered by each type was calculated. Vegetation cover underwent certain changes during the analyzed period in lower terrains and river valleys. An increase in areas without vegetation, areas overgrown with forest ecosystems, as well as areas of degraded forests, thickets, and thick shrub vegetation were registered. The reduction of agricultural land was recorded in all parts of the district, while the areas under vineyards and orchards decreased until 2017, after which their gradual increase was recorded. During the research period, the largest percentage increase was observed in areas overgrown with degraded forests, thickets, and dense bushy vegetation, whose share of the district’s total area increased from 5.71% to 10.34%. Significant changes in the areas of all vegetation types have been largely influenced by the processes of depopulation, deagrarization, and urbanization. The results contribute to better understanding of long-term landscape transformation in the district and provide a strategic basis for spatial planning, environmental conservation, and sustainable development.