One of the scientific developments of the Geographical Information Systems Laboratory at the Center for Technologies of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan is related to the creation of a multi-level monitoring system for pastures around the Turkmen Lake "Altyn Asyr" and the Caspian Lowland.
In this regard, there were carried out an analysis of dominant species of pasture vegetation and development of a methodology for inventory of woody-shrub and herbaceous vegetation in these areas. Both satellite imagery of the studied territories and on-site examination of desert-pasture vegetation were utilized for this purpose.
As a result of fieldwork conducted in the area of the Turkmen Lake "Altyn Asyr" and the Caspian Lowland, characteristics of 27 dominant species of pasture plants were collected and combined into a spectral library.
According to the data of the spectral library, some hyperspectral satellite images were decoded, and matches in spectra of several plant species (black saxaul, saltwort, Keller's wormwood) were detected. This confirms the possibility of identifying the location of objects of interest to scientists in satellite images.
The work of Turkmen scientists aligns with the modern scientific direction of analyzing quantitative and qualitative characteristics of minerals, water, soil, and vegetation by studying their high-resolution reflected spectra.
The utilization of the characteristics collected in the spectral library of desert-pasture vegetation, in combination with a remote sensing data analysis program, holds practical significance for sustainable management of pasturelands in Turkmenistan.