Get reliable rangeland science

Land use decisions are central to the future of how well agriculture and conservation practices mesh. Specifically, assessments on the impacts of conversion from native habitats to crops have been the focus of several studies over the last decade. While presumably measurable, the actual extent of land within a geography that is potentially native (untilled or undisturbed) is impossible to accurately measure using traditional remote sensing technologies such as satellite imagery. We developed a new land use assessment methodology in 2014 for South Dakota and portions of western Minnesota. Unlike other inventories that attempt to capture the current extent of grasslands by utilizing satellite imagery such as National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) data, our inventory is unique in that it utilizes Farm Service Agency Common Land Unit (CLU) data overlaid on National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) aerial Imagery as the basis for determining the majority of cropping history in the region. Our final data is made publicly available through the creation and distribution of geodatabase files. The geodatabase identifies all remaining likely 'undisturbed' land tracts, and is the most comprehensive information available in this region. Continual refinement over time will allow for an improved understanding of land use, including future assessments of changes in the status of native habitats. Innovations in remote sensing technologies and data such as Unmanned Aerial Systems (AUS) coupled with high resolution photography or advanced imagery such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) may serve to facilitate advancements in ground-truthing beyond the current system of physically visiting tracts to verify accuracy of land use history.