Desertification
Process Investigation
On Lordsburg Playa

This ArcGIS Pro geoprocessing toolbox provides an automated workflow for detecting and characterizing significant landscape change, with an emphasis on desertification dynamics. The tools utilize multi-temporal Landsat imagery to derive key spectral indices, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), and Normalized Difference Dry Soil Index (NDDSI). These indices function as indicators of vegetation condition, moisture availability, and soil exposure, respectively. The indices are subsequently evaluated using Mann–Kendall trend tests and hotspot analyses to identify statistically significant spatial and temporal patterns of change. The toolbox is designed to be flexible: users may apply it to other geographic contexts or incorporate alternative temporal frameworks beyond those employed in the accompanying report.

Comprehensive documentation is also provided to guide users through installation, configuration, and execution of the toolbox. The tutorial offers step-by-step instructions, parameter descriptions, and example workflows to support consistent and reproducible application across users with varying levels of GIS experience.