Cattle stocking rates estimated in temperate intensive grasslands with a spring growth model derived from MODIS NDVI time-series

There is an identified need for high resolution animal stocking rate data in temperate grassland systems. Here is presented a 250 m scale characterization of early spring vegetation growth (DOY 32-DOY 120) from 2003 to 2012 based on MODIS NDVI products for this period for Ireland. The average rate of grass growth is determined locally as a simple linear model for each pixel, using only the highest quality data for the period. These decadal spring growth model coefficients, start of season cover and growth rate, are regressed against log of stocking rate (r2 = 0.75). This model stocking rate is used to map grassland use intensity in Ireland, which, when tested against an independent set of stocking rate data, is shown to be successful with an RMSE error of 0.13 for a range of stocking densities from 0.1 to 3.0 LSU/Ha. This model provides the first validated high resolution approach to mapping stocking rates in intensively managed European grassland systems.