Impact of the war on forest ecosystem in Ukraine based on Sentinel-2 data

Abstract

Abstract Forests play a vital role in ecology, economy, urban planning, and social well-being, emphasising the importance of monitoring forest cover and its changes. The study evaluates the ecological impact of the military conflict on forest ecosystem in Ukraine using a time series of Sentinel-2 data and machine learning algorithms. Forest losses following the beginning of the war were derived using a change detection method across the study areas. Two types of forest loss were delineated: conversion of woody areas to non-woody cover, and burnt forest. Before the war, forest loss was predominantly due to the conversion of woody to non-woody cover, accounting for 74% of total changes, while forest fires represented the remaining 26%. Following the outbreak of the conflict, the total area of forest loss doubled. Notably, the proportion of forest converted to non-woody cover decreased to 66%, while the proportion of burnt forest increased to 34%, evidencing the severe impact of military operations on forest ecosystem. Of interest, the area of forest converted to non-wood cover doubled between, possibly reflecting an increased demand for wood due to the conflict, potentially driven by a rise in legal and illegal logging as a result of weakened governance and reduced enforcement of environmental regulations.