Assessing indicators of rangeland health with remote sensing in southeast Arizona

Abstract

The goal of this study was to scale up ground-based range assessments to ranch and landscape scales in southeast Arizona using remote sensing and minimum amount of field data collection. Remotely sensed metrics of canopy cover, biomass, and mesquite composition were used to assess soil and site stability and biotic integrity. Ground-based assessments were conducted on 11 field locations and used in conjunction with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) ecological site descriptions to develop evaluation criteria on two different ecological sites. The data were combined in a GIS and 1,386 km² of rangelands were assessed. A total of 13% of loamy upland range sites were categorized as “None to Slight Departure” from reference conditions for soil and site stability, and 63% were categorized as “Moderate to Extreme Departure” for biotic integrity. The model was sensitive to variation in climate and management. This method is currently being developed as a potential tool for land managers in Madrean Archipelago.

Parent Publication

• Connecting mountain islands and desert seas: Biodiversity and management of the Madrean Archipelago II

Citation

Buono, Jared; Heilman, Philip; Williams, David; Guertin, Phillip. 2005. Assessing indicators of rangeland health with remote sensing in southeast Arizona. Gottfried, Gerald J.; Gebow, Brooke S.; Eskew, Lane G.; Edminster, Carleton B., comps. Connecting mountain islands and desert seas: biodiversity and management of the Madrean Archipelago II. Proc. RMRS-P-36. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 508-510