Abstract
<jats:p>The authors consider the possibility of using Landsat-8 satellite images and unmanned aerial vehicle surveys (DJI Mini SE quadcopter) footage together with geobotanical descriptions to decipher the dynamics of overgrowing in the Kerzhensky Reserve with black alder thickets. They form a stable massive confined to the floodplains of small rivers and depressions. The groves possess a competitive advantage in post-wildfire regeneration, effectively displacing pre-fire vegetation communities. Field studies of their recovery process have been conducted since 2011, following a major forest fire in 2010. The scope of this research encompasses all the groves within the reserve, including black alder ones. We specifically examined the changes that have occurred in the spatial distribution of the mentioned thickets across the post-fire landscapes over a ten-year period, spanning from 2010 to 2021. It was found out that the speed of their advancement is about 2–4 m per year, and the young growth have a potential to develop areas previously occupied by other plants. With the global increase in the frequency of fires due to climate changes, the obtained materials can be used in restoration of forest resources in post-fire areas</jats:p>