Estimating Rangelands Yield Using Remote Sensing Data (Case study: Damavand region of Iran)

Estimating rangelandsۥ production is one of the range management tools. This requires detailed information about the present available forage of the rangelands. The assessment of the parameters is difficult and cost-intensive using clipping method. Therefore, new estimating methods are required. We estimated available forage using remote sensing data in the production model that it extracted from ecological parameters and remote sensing data. For quantifying evaluation of vegetation cover stratified random sampling and transect sampling methods were selected. Plot size calculated from “minimal area and species curve” method. Overall, 28 transects (50m) one transect in each site that contain 280 (1m2) sample plots were measured. Modeling performed using NDVI index, animal density and effective ecological factors (altitude, slope, aspect, precipitation, temperature and evaporation) on rangelandsۥ yield. After analyzing of ecological factors of Damavand region, some ineffective factors omitted. Finally three factors namely slope, precipitation and NDVI index were entered in the model for calculating the available forage in the study area. The calculated amount of average standard predict value of forage model is 38% and its standard deviation value is 97%. They show that the validation of model for predicting of forage is fairly acceptable.