The effect of natural factors on changing soil uses in the marshes: An experimental study using Landsat satellite data

Abstract The study aimed to analyze the effect of meteorological factors (rainfall rate and temperature) on the change in land use in the marshes of the Al‐Majar Al‐Kabir region in southern Iraq. Satellite images from Landsat 7 for 2012 and Landsat 8 for 2022 were used to monitor changes in the land coverings, the images taken from the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Operational Land Imager (OLI) sensors of the Landsat satellite. Geometric correction was used to convert images into a format with precise geographic coordinates using ArcMap 10.5. The maximum likelihood classification method was used to examine satellite image data using a supervised approach, and the data were analyzed statistically. We obtained clear images of the area, through which we identified five types of lands (agriculture, bare, dry, wet, and water bodies) and calculated the differences that occurred in the land areas between 2012 and 2022. Then, we studied the change in atmospheric conditions (rainfall rate and temperature average) for the same period. The results showed that temperature increases negatively affected the types of ground cover, as the area of agricultural lands, water bodies, and wetlands decreased inversely with the temperature and directly with the rainfall. It also showed that the area of dry and bare land increased directly with the temperature rates and inversely with the rainfall, which makes these areas more susceptible to desertification. In addition, decreased rainfall highlights how crucial it is to manage water resources in marsh ecosystems. Water conservation and sustainable water use practices are two strategies that can encourage healthy plant growth, maintain appropriate soil moisture levels, and preserve the ecological functions that marshes offer.