Spatiotemporal dynamics of kNDVI in Vinnytsia city during the vegetation growing season: trend analysis for 1990–2021
Keywords:
KNDVI, urban vegetation, spatiotemporal analysis, Google Earth Engine, VinnytsiaAbstract
This study examines the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban vegetation in Vinnytsia over a 32-year period (1990–2021) using the Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (KNDVI) derived from Landsat satellite imagery within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) environment. Annual composite KNDVI maps were generated for the vegetation growing season (May–September) and analysed using pixel-wise linear regression to quantify interannual trends. To capture potential shifts in vegetation dynamics, the analysis was conducted separately for two sub-periods: 1990–2005 and 2005–2021. The results indicate a substantial increase in the proportion of statistically significant positive trends in the latter period, with the dominant pattern shifting from mixed (34.435 negative, 66.575 positive) to strongly positive (11.705 negative, 88.305 positive), suggesting pronounced urban greening. The fully scripted Python/GEE workflow provides a reproducible and scalable alternative to conventional desktop GIS approaches for long-term urban vegetation monitoring.
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