A ground cover index (GCI) derived from Landsat TM data is available for Queensland since 1986. It provides a potentially robust means for reporting change in landscape function to the Australian Collaborative Rangelands Information System (ACRIS). We report early progress in developing such an index based on the temporal behaviour of pixel GCI values. Pixels within paddocks in the Wambiana grazing trial were classified as notionally ‘functional’ or‘dysfunctional’ based on a specified deviation in ground cover from their longer-term temporal mean. This produced distinct spatial patterning of ‘dysfunctional’ areas for some grazing treatments in drier years. ...
Bastin, G., Schmidt, M., O’Reagain P., and Karfs, R. (2010).Reporting change in landscape function using the Queensland ground cover index.In: Proceedings of the 16thBiennial Conference of the Australian Rangeland Society, Bourke (Eds D.J. Eldridge and C. Waters) (Australian Rangeland Society: Perth).
Full-text publications from the Australian Rangelands Society (ARS) Biennial Conference Proceedings (1997-), Rangeland Journal (ARS/CSIRO; 1976-), plus videos and other resources about the rangelands of Australia.