Combining satellite and ground data
Mountain grasslands are particularly challenging to monitor. Cloud cover can limit optical satellite observations, while the complex terrain of the Alps makes reliable vegetation monitoring more difficult.
The South Tyrolean study case explores how Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite data, combined with meteorological, soil-moisture, topographic and in-situ measurements, can improve the monitoring of grassland productivity.
A key focus is the estimation of Leaf Area Index (LAI), an important indicator of vegetations deverlopment and grassland biomass. The improved Sentinel-2 LAI product showed strong agreement with field measurements and captured seasonal grassland dynamics, including sowing events.
Supporting drought monitoring and agricultural insurance
The research also feeds into the Grassland Productivity Index (GPI) used in South Tyrol to support index-based agricultural insurance.
Results show that the improved satellite-derived information can capture spatial and temporal variations in grassland productivity, including the impacts of the severe agricultural drought of 2022.
The study also investigates the potential of Sentinel-1 radar data to complement optical observations, helping to maintain more continuous monitoring when cloud cover prevents the use of Sentinel-2 imagery.
Together, these approaches demonstrate how combining Earth Observation, in situ observations and advanced data analytics can contribute to more efficient drought assessment and more resilient agricultural insurance solutions.
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