Remote sensing and geospatial approach for land degradation risk assessment in the costa verde bay southeast of brazil

This study examines Olkhon Island, the largest island in Lake Baikal, located within the Pribaikalsky National Park. The research was motivated by growing tourist flows and Russia Tourism Development Strategy through 2035, which includes specially protected natural areas. To assess recreational impacts on soil cover, the authors analyzed visitation statistics, including vehicle and air transport, and described road types and their transformation. Twenty-eight soil samples were collected along an 83 km transect from the Olkhon Island ferry to Cape Khoboy. The ecological and geochemical state was assessed using the concentration coefficient (K_c ), Clark concentration coefficient (K_k-), and the total pollution factor (Saet index, Z_c ). Results showed no critical Z_c  values (<16). However, after the tourist season (August–October), a statistically significant increase in Z_c was recorded at the Buruger checkpoint, Kharantsy, Peschanaya, and Uzury settlements, indicating differentiated transport load distribution in autumn. Geochemical analysis based on K_k  values revealed significant transformations for Cu, Ni, Cr, and V, with increasing trends of 0.06–0.51, possibly due to technogenic load or seasonal migration processes. Co and Zn showed stable values with minimal fluctuations (0.02–0.06), indicating geochemical stability. Benzo(a)pyrene monitoring (May–December 2024) showed significant seasonal differences. During peak tourist season (July), concentrations in Khuzhir and Kharantsy nearly doubled the maximum allowable concentration (20 μg/kg). By October, levels decreased 3–20 times. Benzo(a)pyrene inputs are presumably linked to vehicle emissions. The findings suggest localized changes in soil chemistry due to vehicle impacts, with residual anthropogenic influence from the Soviet period.

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