Floristic vs. Dominant Classification Approaches Applied to Geospatial Modeling of Mixed and Broadleaf Forest Types in the Northwestern Caucasus (Russia)
Journal: Forests
Year: 2025

The Caucasus Mountains are recognized as a global center of biodiversity but currently face significant risks of degradation due to intensified economic development and the effects of climate change. Forest inventory and mapping are essential for biodiversity conservation in the Caucasus region. Geospatial modeling is a common method of thematic mapping, but its reliability depends heavily on the initial classification of reference data used for model training. Modern vegetation science features