Comparison between digital photographic method and Visual estimation for estimating cover of two types of the grassland and shrubland

Natural resources management, specially rangeland, need to increase scientific capability and use of the useful techniques and methods for range evaluation. One of this, evaluating vegetation using remote sensing, which photographic methods is its component. In this research, the possibility use of the digital photographic and image analyses technology to estimate vegetation and comparing with visual estimation in two types of the grassland and shrubland was investigated. After selection the study area, in each region, according vegetation characteristic, and sampling was conducted in 1 and 2 M2 quadrats. In Taleghan, indicatoring of the grassland type, and Zarand, indicatoring of the shrubland type, was used 1 and M 2 quadrat in arrangement and in each of this areas, 30 quadrat was used. Then in each quadrat four factor canopy cover, bare land, gravel and litter was estimated. The photoes was edited in Adobe Photoshop (7.0 ME) software and was delivered in Ilwis (3.0 Beta) to estimating the mentioned factors. The results have shown that there is a significant difference between digital photographic and visual estimation methods.