Improved Estimation of Aboveground Biomass of Disturbed Grassland through Including Bare Ground and Grazing Intensity

Yan Shi,Gary John Brierley,Daniel Marc G. dela Torre,Jay Gao,Xilai Li,Jiexia Li

doi:10.3390/rs13112105

Abstract

Accurate approaches to aboveground biomass (AGB) estimation are required to support appraisal of the effectiveness of land use measures, which seek to protect grazing-adapted grasslands atop the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). This methodological study assesses the effectiveness of one commonly used visible band vegetation index, Red Green Blue Vegetation Index (RGBVI), obtained from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), in estimating AGB timely and accurately at the local scale, seeking to improve the estimation accuracy by taking into account in situ collected information on disturbed grassland. Particular emphasis is placed upon the mapping and quantification of areas disturbed by grazing (simulated via mowing) and plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) that have led to the emergence of bare ground. The initial model involving only RGBVI performed poorly in AGB estimation by underestimating high AGB by around 10% and overestimating low AGB by about 10%. The estimation model was modified by the mowing intensity ratio and bare ground metrics. The former almost doubled the estimation accuracy from R2 = 0.44 to 0.81. However, this modification caused the bare ground AGB to be overestimated by about 38 and 19 g m−2 for 2018 and 2019, respectively. Although further modification of the model by bare ground metrics improved the accuracy slightly to 0.88, it markedly reduced the overestimation of low AGB values. It is recommended that grazing intensity be incorporated into the micro-scale estimation of AGB, together with the bare ground modification metrics, especially for severely disturbed meadows with a sizable portion of bare ground.

Highlights

IntroductionWith an area of about 2.5 million km , grasslands atop the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP)
Introduction published maps and institutional affilGrasslands are vital ecosystems that occupy about 40% of the Earth’s surface [1].With an area of about 2.5 million km2, grasslands atop the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP)provide an important grazing resource that supports the livelihood of local pastoralists [2].Maintenance of grazing-adapted ecosystems is an integral part of long-term environmental protection programmes in this region [3]
aboveground biomass (AGB) dropped along with the mowing intensity, but pika disturbance had no such effect as the medium disturbance group had the lowest AGB

Summary

Introduction

With an area of about 2.5 million km , grasslands atop the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Maintenance of grazing-adapted ecosystems is an integral part of long-term environmental protection programmes in this region [3]. Around 40% of grassland areas in the Sanjiangyuan region of the QTP have been subjected to fragmentation and degradation [6,7,8]. The prospect for sustainable practices reflects the balance between changes to grassland productivity, on the one hand (i.e., net primary productivity; NPP), and impacts of land use practices, especially stocking rates, on the other [9,10]. Given the vast expanse of the landscapes and ecosystems in this region, research to date has emphasized the use of remotely sensed applications to appraise spatial and temporal variability in the patterns and iations

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Conclusion