UFZ researchers develop a method with which they can utilise satellite data and artificial intelligence to determine the land-use intensity of meadows and pastures.
Extensively used grassland is host to a high degree of biodiversity, and performs an important climate protection function as a carbon sink and also serves for fodder and food production. However, these ecosystem services are jeopardised if productivity on these lands is maximised and their use therefore intensified. Until now, data on the condition of the meadows and pastures in Germany have been unavailable for larger areas. In the journal Remote Sensing of Environment, researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) have now described how satellite data and machine learning methods enable to assess land-use intensity.
The map shows the land use intensity index (LUI). Source.UFZ
