Growth unveiled: decoding the start of grassland seasons in Austria

The start of the growing season (SOS) in grasslands is a critical factor that significantly affects grassland dynamics, production and quality. In the context of grassland fodder production, the exact detection of the start of the growing season allows farmers and land managers to precisely plan har...

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Main Authors: Aleksandar Dujakovic, Andreas Schaumberger, Andreas Klingler, Konrad Mayer, Clement Atzberger, Anja Klisch, Francesco Vuolo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:European Journal of Remote Sensing
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22797254.2024.2323633
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author Aleksandar Dujakovic
Andreas Schaumberger
Andreas Klingler
Konrad Mayer
Clement Atzberger
Anja Klisch
Francesco Vuolo
author_facet Aleksandar Dujakovic
Andreas Schaumberger
Andreas Klingler
Konrad Mayer
Clement Atzberger
Anja Klisch
Francesco Vuolo
author_sort Aleksandar Dujakovic
collection DOAJ
description The start of the growing season (SOS) in grasslands is a critical factor that significantly affects grassland dynamics, production and quality. In the context of grassland fodder production, the exact detection of the start of the growing season allows farmers and land managers to precisely plan harvest schedules for hay production or silage making. However, the NDVI time-series based detection of the SOS for grassland poses challenges due to the gradual onset of greenness and the wide variety of environmental conditions. These challenges emphasize the need for novel approaches to improve satellite-based SOS detection accuracy. This study establishes a new methodology for identifying the SOS specifically tailored to grassland regions in Austria. To accomplish this, a synergistic approach combining remote sensing (MODIS NDVI at 250 m) and weather data analysis was adopted. Results indicate that the integrated approach outperforms alternative methods in estimating SOS. The study demonstrated a more robust and accurate estimates of SOS that were generally consistent with the phenological observations of a reference species (Forsythia suspensa) and in agreement with the observed SOS dates based on visual interpretation of 10 m resolution Sentinel-2 images. For future studies, the integration of additional validation techniques is crucial.
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issn 2279-7254
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publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series European Journal of Remote Sensing
spelling doaj-art-d3539935fe7b4f1b96a2d34fb22fa1052025-08-20T01:58:55ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Remote Sensing2279-72542024-12-0157110.1080/22797254.2024.2323633Growth unveiled: decoding the start of grassland seasons in AustriaAleksandar Dujakovic0Andreas Schaumberger1Andreas Klingler2Konrad Mayer3Clement Atzberger4Anja Klisch5Francesco Vuolo6Institute of Geomatics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Geo-Information, Agricultural Research and Education Center (AREC), Irdning, Donnersbachtal, AustriaDepartment of Geo-Information, Agricultural Research and Education Center (AREC), Irdning, Donnersbachtal, AustriaClimate Research Department, GeoSphere Austria, Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Geomatics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Geomatics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Geomatics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, AustriaThe start of the growing season (SOS) in grasslands is a critical factor that significantly affects grassland dynamics, production and quality. In the context of grassland fodder production, the exact detection of the start of the growing season allows farmers and land managers to precisely plan harvest schedules for hay production or silage making. However, the NDVI time-series based detection of the SOS for grassland poses challenges due to the gradual onset of greenness and the wide variety of environmental conditions. These challenges emphasize the need for novel approaches to improve satellite-based SOS detection accuracy. This study establishes a new methodology for identifying the SOS specifically tailored to grassland regions in Austria. To accomplish this, a synergistic approach combining remote sensing (MODIS NDVI at 250 m) and weather data analysis was adopted. Results indicate that the integrated approach outperforms alternative methods in estimating SOS. The study demonstrated a more robust and accurate estimates of SOS that were generally consistent with the phenological observations of a reference species (Forsythia suspensa) and in agreement with the observed SOS dates based on visual interpretation of 10 m resolution Sentinel-2 images. For future studies, the integration of additional validation techniques is crucial.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22797254.2024.2323633Start of growing season (SOS)NDVI time seriesMODISair temperature thresholdsgrassland management
spellingShingle Aleksandar Dujakovic
Andreas Schaumberger
Andreas Klingler
Konrad Mayer
Clement Atzberger
Anja Klisch
Francesco Vuolo
Growth unveiled: decoding the start of grassland seasons in Austria
European Journal of Remote Sensing
Start of growing season (SOS)
NDVI time series
MODIS
air temperature thresholds
grassland management
title Growth unveiled: decoding the start of grassland seasons in Austria
title_full Growth unveiled: decoding the start of grassland seasons in Austria
title_fullStr Growth unveiled: decoding the start of grassland seasons in Austria
title_full_unstemmed Growth unveiled: decoding the start of grassland seasons in Austria
title_short Growth unveiled: decoding the start of grassland seasons in Austria
title_sort growth unveiled decoding the start of grassland seasons in austria
topic Start of growing season (SOS)
NDVI time series
MODIS
air temperature thresholds
grassland management
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22797254.2024.2323633
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AT andreasklingler growthunveileddecodingthestartofgrasslandseasonsinaustria
AT konradmayer growthunveileddecodingthestartofgrasslandseasonsinaustria
AT clementatzberger growthunveileddecodingthestartofgrasslandseasonsinaustria
AT anjaklisch growthunveileddecodingthestartofgrasslandseasonsinaustria
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