Rangelands are important natural and semi-natural ecosystems that provide a number of vital ecosystem functions. Assessing the state of rangelands based on geoinformation products and remote sensing data serves as a key mechanism for regulating their productivity and monitoring the seasonal dynamics of the grass cover.
The study involves geospatial monitoring of the state of natural meadows, pastures, and open areas with herbaceous vegetation, as well as their productivity, based on the use of the 10-day satellite products for Leaf Area Index (LAI, v1 RT6, 2014–2026), Gross Dry Matter Productivity (GDMP, v1 RT6, 2014–2026) with a spatial resolution of 300 m, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI, v3, 2014–present).
A statistical analysis was conducted to assess the condition of rangelands and evaluate their phenology. The GDMP value varied throughout the study period from 431 kg DM/ha/day in May to 808 kg DM/ha/day in June, reaching a seasonal maximum. A decrease in the index was observed to 702 in July and 619 in August. For leaf area, the index increased from 8.2 m²/m² in May to 11.7 in June, gradually decreased to 10.3 in July, and dropped significantly to 6.2 in August. The NDVI remained relatively stable throughout the season - ranging from 0.62 in May to 0.70 in June, 0.71 in July, and 0.68 in August. Therefore the NDVI, GDMP and LAI enabled the assessment of rangeland state throughout the growing season, specifically in terms of potential biomass yield, leaf area, grass stand density.
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