Indicators of landscape health using rapid ground assessment with remote sensing

Project 3.1.1

Trend analysis for regional land condition assessment

Project 3.1.2

Project Leader: Mr Bob Karfs, NT Department of Lands, Planning & Environment, Darwin

Summary | Progress | Highlights | Future directions | Publications | Project team | More Information |

Summary

The aims of both projects were to:

• Interpret changes in the landscape at a range of scales from paddock to region using satellite and ground data over four biogeographic regions in Australia's tropical savannas.
• To develop regional information products for reporting on the functional state of landscapes.
• Establish data management and reporting processes.

Project 3.1.2, Trend analysis for regional land condition assessment, merged with Project 3.1.1, Indicators of landscape health, in 1999.

Over the course of its life, this project has shown how to detect landscape change and condition by integrating ground-based indicators with remote sensing technology. The National Land & Water Resources Audit also provided additional support in developing monitoring methods within the project.

For landholders and policy makers that manage Australia’s tropical savannas, this data is an important basis for making decisions that are ecologically and economically sustainable.

Specifically the project has developed operational methods for:

• processing mult-temporal image data;
• analysis and stratification of land resource data;
• groundtruthing;
• establishing permanent monitoring sites;
• adopting the ecological model of Landscape Function;
• applying Landscape Function Analysis (LFA);
• collecting relevant vegetation data;
• analysing LFA and vegetation monitoring data, and;
• identification of indicators for relating ground-based results to the long-term response detected from satellite data.

This research was a first for northern Australia with results having a quantifiable beneficial impact for the pastoral industry. Outputs are also highly relevant to other areas of savanna management as well as TS–CRC Key Result Areas, such as determining rates of tree clearance and weed expansion, biodiversity monitoring, vegetation recovery after fire and predictive modelling.

Progress

• Landsat time-series covering the entire Ord-Victoria Region or 265,000km2 was updated to the year 2000 and a cover trend map for the VRD is near completion.
• Time-series information products were produced for the Dept. of Defence over the Bradshaw Field Training Area (BFTA) in the Northern Territory.
• Ground-monitoring methods developed by the project were adopted by the Dept of Defence.
• A formal report describing the monitoring methodology for ground-based assessment was completed with a draft report describing regional characteristics and rangeland descriptions for VRD vegetation communities expected by 2002. A monitoring database was established for interrogating temporal monitoring data.
• A complementary monitoring project on the Sturt Plateau is near completion with final report for Natural Heritage Trust in preparation.
• A MSc thesis (Karfs) that was directly related to the project was completed. Presentation and publication of results were delivered to a peak industry body at the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium in Sydney.
• Revision of the LFA Manual by CSIRO is near completion and expected to be published in 2002.

Highlights

In 2002, the final year of the project, take-up by the pastoral industry and defence forces to assist in land management was a highlight. Also significant was the recognition by the broader community of the value of this research highlighted in the following reports:

‘Impact Assessment of the Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centre’ - TS-CRC report and Tracking Changes: The Australian Collaborative Rangeland Information System - National Land and Water Resources Audit Rangeland Theme Report.

Project outcomes have also led to potential cooperation with National and International research and spatial data provider agencies through the CRC for Application of Earth Observations proposal. This collaboration will be under Program 3: Natural Resources and Environment where NTDIPE is a core partner. There is also collaboration potential under the proposed Desert Knowledge CRC (covering the arid zone of Australia) through NTDIPE participation in natural resource management and monitoring projects.

Future directions

• Continued collaborative work with Parks & Wildlife Commission of the NT investigating the use of remote sensing as an indicator of biodiversity.
• Test the capability of new generation satellite sensors to provide tactical management support related to intensified pastoral production through TS–CRC grazing management project.
• Provide extension and support to stakeholders in the use of satellite-based monitoring products for pastoral land management across northern Australia.
• Collaboration is set to continue with several TSM-CRC projects involving the analysis of remote sensing data. These projects include: ecosystem function (1.1.1), grazing land and fire management (2.1.4) and the CSIRO Ord Bonaparte project.

A large volume of monitoring data now exists for the VRD through the work of this project. It includes data from both fixed and informal monitoring sites (1994–2000) and Landsat time-series (1983–2001).

These data will serve as a baseline to measure the impact of pastoral intensification in a major multi-disciplinary project proposed by Heytesbury Beef and MLA. The ‘whole farm’ R&D approach by Heytesbury will test improved efficiencies in pastoral management as related to the sustainability of natural and biological resources in a commercial operation. Critical to achieving a balance between productivity and suitability will be the implementation of a cost-effective land condition monitoring system based on multi-temporal satellite data. Outcomes from monitoring pastoral intensification are expected to have direct relevance to pastoral enterprises in northern Australia.

In 2002, NTDIPE processed satellite time-series data for Earth, Water Life Consultants (EWL) to select in a consistent and objective manner permanent monitoring sites. Site establishment and data collection were undertaken during May of 2002.

Further cooperation between NTDIPE and the Defence Department is planned through sharing/provision of data. This collaboration as a direct result of project 3.1.1 promises to enhance the applicability of cost-effective satellite monitoring methods over diverse landscapes and land uses.

Publications

Bastin, G., Chewings, V., Ludwig, J., Eager, R., Liedloff, A., and Karfs, R. 2002, 'Monitoring landscape function with remotely-sensed imagery', Range Management Newsletter, Australia Rangeland Society, No. 02/1, March 2002, pp 7-11.

Karfs, R. 2001, ‘The application of satellite-based information products in rangeland management’, in Proceedings of the Northern Australia Beef Industry Conference (NABIC), Kununurra 8-9, November 2001. Department of Agriculture Western Australia.

Karfs, R.A. and Wallace, J.F. 2001, ‘An analysis of temporal change at rangeland monitoring sites using remote sensing in northwest Australia’ in Proceedings of the IEE 2001

International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Sydney, July 2001, CD-ROM.

Karfs, R., Bastin, G., Chewings, V., Bartolo, J., Grant, R., Lynch, D., Wauchope, S., Watson, I. and Wood, B. 2001, Resource inventory, condition assessment and monitoring activities on Pastoral Leases in the Northern Territory conducted by the Department of Infrastructure, Planning & Environment, National Land &WaterResourcesAudit

Lynch, D. and Karfs, R. 2001, Tier 2 Monitoring Methodology, Terrestrial Monitoring Series No. 1, Report No. 74/2001, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, Darwin.

Mullin, D. J. 2001, 'Enhanced resource assessment of the Sturt Plateau region, land cover units derived from satellite imagery', in Proceedings 5th North Australian Remote Sensing and GIS Conference, Northern Territory University. Darwin, 3-5 July 2001, CD-ROM.

Richardson, K.M. 2001, ‘Satellite based rangeland monitoring of savannas in North Eastern Queensland’, in Proceedings 5th North Australian Remote Sensing and GIS Conference, Northern Territory University. Darwin, 3-5 July 2001, CD ROM.

Richardson, K.M. 2001a, Monitoring the Savannas, Earth Resource Mapping Home page, see link below.

Fisher, R., Karfs, R., Peel, R., Richardson, K. and Shields, W. (2000) Australia's tropical savannas: Aiding sustainable landuse with space technology. regional land condition and trend assessment in tropical savannas. CD-ROM video presentation and report. NT Dept. Lands Planning and Environment, National Land and Water Resources Audit, Tropical Savannas CRC

Karfs, R., Applegate, R., Fisher, R., Lynch, D., Mullin, D., Novelly, P., Peel, L., Richardson, K., Thomas, P. and Wallace, J. (2000) Regional land condition and trend assessment in tropical savannas: The Audit Rangeland Implementation Project. Final report to the National Land and Water Resources Audit, Canberra.

Karfs, R., Applegate, R., Fisher, R., Mullin, D., Novelly, P., Peel, L., Richardson, K. and Wallace, J. (2000) Satellite-Based Range Monitoring in Northern Australia: The Audit Rangeland Implementation Project. Proc. of the 10th Australasian Remote Sensing Conference, 21-25 August 2000, Adelaide.

Karfs, R.A. (1999) Looking back for assessing land resources in the tropical savannas of north Australia. In D. Eldridge and D. Freudenberger (Eds.) People and Rangelands: Building the Future, Proc. VI International Rangeland Congress, Townsville, July 19-23. pp. 767-769. Karfs, R. A. and Wallace, J.F. (2001). 'An analysis of temporal change at rangeland monitoring sites using remote sensing in northwest Australia'. IGARSS Conference Proceedings. Sydney, 9-13 July, 2001.

Karfs, R., Applegate, R., Fisher, R., Lynch, D., Mullin, D., Novelly, P., Peel, L., Richardson, K., Thomas, P. and Wallace, J. (2000) Regional land condition and trend assessment in tropical savannas: The Audit Rangeland Implementation Project Final Report, National Land and Water Resources Audit, Canberra. http://audit.ea.gov.au/ANRA/atlas_portal/rangelands_home.html

Mullin, D. J. (2001). 'Enhanced resource assessment of the Sturt Plateau region, land cover units derived from satellite imagery'. NARGIS 2001 Conference Proceedings. Northern Territory University. Darwin, 3-5 July 2001.

Peel, L. J. and Karfs, R. A. (2000). 'Rangeland monitoring in the Ord Victoria Region the Way Forward Using Satellite Imagery'. Northern Grassy Landscapes Conference Proceedings. Tropical Savannas CRC. Katherine, 29-31 August 2000.

Richardson, K. M. (2001). 'Satellite based rangeland monitoring of Savannas in North Eastern Queensland - The Dalrymple Shire'. NARGIS 2001 Conference Proceedings. Northern Territory University. Darwin, 3-5 July 2001.

Richardson, K. M. and Karfs, R. A. (2000). 'Satellite based rangeland monitoring in Northern Australia - North Eastern QLD - Dalrymple Shire'. Northern Grassy Landscapes Conference Proceedings. Tropical Savannas CRC. Katherine, 29-31 August 2000.

Project team

Mr Rod Applegate, NTDLPE
Mr Robert Hodges, NTDLPE
Mr Robert Karfs, NTDLPE
Ms Dominique Lynch, NTDLPE
Dr Paul Novelly, Dept. Agriculture WA
Mr Luke Peel, NTDLPE
Ms Kate Richardson, NTDLPE
Ms Deborah Telfer, NTDLPE
Mr David Tongway, CSIRO SE
Mr Jeremy Wallace, CSIRO MIS
Mr Alaric Fisher, NTPWC
Mr Norman Hindley, CSIRO SE
Dr John Ludwig, CSIRO SE
Mr Philip Thomas,
Dr Ian Watson, Dept. Agriculture WA