Pasture monitoring at a farm scale with the USDA NRCS pasture condition score system

Pastureland Conservation Effects Assessment Project: Status and expected outcomes

“…The PCS emphasizes production and is not based on ecological sites or reference states. In contrast, rangeland health monitoring methods compare hydrologic function, soil and surface stability, and biotic integrity indicators to a standard reference condition (Pellant et al 2005;Sanderson et al 2009). There is a need to bring more quantitative and ecological rigor to the PCS system to bridge the gap between rangeland and pastureland so a more unified approach to assessing and monitoring grazing lands on a national scale can be achieved.…”

Assessment of Mediterranean pasture condition using MODIS normalized difference vegetation index time series

“…With the history of operational earth observation sensors reaching back almost four decades, it allows retrospective analysis of the state and development of ecosystems at multiple spatial and temporal scales. 5 Because pasture condition is related to the ecologic functionality and integrity of the ecosystem, it cannot be directly measured on the ground or by remote sensing. 5 Because pasture condition is related to the ecologic functionality and integrity of the ecosystem, it cannot be directly measured on the ground or by remote sensing.…”

An integrated approach to grazingland ecological assessments and management interpretations

“…Ten indicators of vegetation and soil status (table 2) are rated on a one to five scale and are summed to give an aggregate score, which is evaluated and interpreted together with potential causative factors to make management recommendations (Sanderson et al 2009). A major weakness of the PCS is that it lacks site-specific reference conditions with which to make assessments.…”