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Remote sensing and machine learning for monitoring carbon stocks to support sustainable grazing management
Author
Ogungbuyi, MG
Harrison MT
Caroline M
Crabble RA
Publisher
XII International Rangeland Congress
Publication Year
2025
Body

Grasslands offer a sustainable and cost-effective resource for livestock feed while supporting carbon sequestration, thereby mitigating climate change. However, current remote sensing methods for grassland monitoring have not adequately addressed adaptive grazing management at the fine scales required for intensive grazing systems. Grazing trials conducted under La Niña conditions, with recovery periods of 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 months, aimed to advance regenerative grazing techniques in small plots (<1 hectare). Sentinel-2 imagery combined with random forest outperformed XGBoost in estimating biomass, achieving better regression statistics (R² = 0.56, RMSE = 1,532 kg DM/ha vs. R² = 0.48, RMSE = 1,726 kg DM/ha). The model effectively captured carbon stock variability across recovery periods, with the 3-month recovery exceeding 2,000 kg C/ha. This proof-of-concept study underscores the potential of high-resolution remote sensing to enhance precision agricultural management and promote climate-resilient farming practices

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Additional Information
This paper is part of the larger XII International Rangelands Congress Proceedings. Page Numbers: 1825-1829. Theme: Theme 6 / Poster presentations – Theme 6
ISSN
978-0-646-72121-7
Conference Name
International Rangeland Congress
Collection
International Rangelands Congress
Keywords
Soil organic carbon
pasture biomass
remote sensing
machine learning
greenhouse gas