Mapping the NDVI and monitoring of its changes using Google Earth Engine and Sentinel-2 images

Abstract Knowledge of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of changes in environmental planning, land-use planning, and sustainable development is very important. The use of vegetation maps is currently one of the most important pillars in producing information due to micro-and macro-planning at present. In this study, temporal and spatial variations of vegetation cover of the Doroudzan Dam Watershed (DDW) using Sentinel-2 satellite data and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) during the 14 months of 2017 and 2018. For this purpose, Google Earth Engine (GEE) was used. After preparing the code in the GEE and creating the NDVI for different months, the built maps were converted into ArcGIS 10.6.1. The results of the present study showed that vegetation cover was scattered on average in all months, but in October, the vegetation deficiency severity was higher. On the other hand, vegetation deficiency areas were observed in the southwest and center of the study area in all months. In May, compact vegetation (0.1. 0.5–1) and sparse vegetation (0.05. 0.1) occurred in October. As a plant is a mirror of water and air, it is important to obtain information on the status of vegetation, such as its extent and distribution. Because collecting information on continuous vegetation changes by conventional methods is extremely difficult and costly, remote sensing is a very useful method that provides a broad view of an area.