Abstract
The world’s grasslands, both natural and managed, provide food and many non-provisioning ecosystem services. Although most grasslands today are used for livestock grazing or fodder production, little is known about the spatial patterns of grassland management intensity, especially at broad geographic scales. Using the European Union as a case study, we mapped mowing frequency as a key indicator of grassland management intensity. We used MODIS NDVI time series from 2000–2012 to map mowing frequency using a spline-fitting algorithm that detects up to five mowing events within a single growing season. We combined mowing frequency maps with existing maps of livestock distribution and grassland management frequency to identify clusters of similar grassland management intensity across Europe. Our results highlight generally high mowing frequency in areas of high grassland productivity, especially in Ireland, northern and central France, and the Netherlands. Our analyses also show distinct clusters of similar grassland management, representing different grassland-management intensity regimes. High intensity clusters occurred particularly in western and southern Europe, especially in Ireland, in the northern and central parts of France and Spain, and the Netherlands but also in northern and southern Germany and eastern Poland. Low intensity clusters were found mainly in central and eastern Europe and in mountainous regions but also in Extremadura in Spain, Wales and western England (UK). Generally, our analyses emphasize the usefulness of jointly using satellite time series and agricultural statistics to monitor grassland intensity across broad geographic extents. Our maps allow for a new, spatially-detailed view of management intensity in grassland systems and may help to improve regionally targeted land-use and conservation policies.
Highlights
Grasslands cover more than 40% of the Earth’s land surface and are widely used for livestock grazing and fodder production, thereby contributing to global food production in major ways (FAO 2006)
Most grasslands today are used for livestock grazing or fodder production, little is known about the spatial patterns of grassland management intensity, especially at broad geographic scales
Grassland management intensity affects all of these in major ways, yet little is known about spatial patterns in management intensity, especially at broad geographic scales
Summary
Grasslands cover more than 40% of the Earth’s land surface and are widely used for livestock grazing and fodder production, thereby contributing to global food production in major ways (FAO 2006). As the global human population continues to grow and diets become richer in animal-based products, the production of grassland-based livestock products increase as well (Thomas et al 2014, Keyzer et al 2005, Thornton 2010). This in turn puts further pressure on the world’s grasslands and affects their functioning and biodiversity (FAO 2006, Hopkins 2006, Laliberteet al 2010). Biodiversity and the flows of ecosystem services from grassland systems strongly depend on management intensity (Laliberteet al 2010). Understanding spatial patterns in management intensity in grassland systems is crucial, yet knowledge about this is currently limited, in particular across large spatial extents
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