Assessment of Vegetation Cover Using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Based on Satellite Images: Case Study from Ajloun in Northern Jordan

In this study, the vegetation cover in the Ajloun forest reserve was assessed using moderate spatial resolution satellite images. It was possible to construct maps of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for the study area, during the period 2000–2018 using the special QGIS software. Statistical analysis of the minimum NDVI values indicated an increasing trend in the vegetative cover of the study area, where NDVI values were increased from 0.05 to 0.18 during the period 2000–2018. Using satellite images in assessing the vegetation cover is a robust method that saves time and efforts. The results allow conducting a predictive analysis of the dynamics of the state of forest ecosystems based on actual data and will be useful as a tool for decision-makers to make informed decisions for inventory, remote control of logging, assessment of the consequences of fires, forest pathological monitoring, and scientific research. © 2021, The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.