LAND DEGRADATION ANALYSIS IN THE ONGI RIVER BASIN

摘要

During Mongolia's transition to the free market, socio-economic factors such as poverty and profit-seeking have greatly increased small to large-scale mining, as well as illicit activity resulting in the exploitation of the country's mineral resources. This has subsequently contributed to the deterioration and loss of regional biodiversity and increased levels land degradation. This study aims to monitor land degradation processes in the study area of the Ongi River Basin. This area is affected by mining activities and desertification processes. The vegetation indexes MSA VI2 and NDVI from SPOT data were applied in this area in order to determine vegetation cover change in the time period of 1998 to 2006. The result from both vegetation indexes described that there is a vegetation decrease due to mining activities in the study area.