A framework for national-scale predictions of forage dry mass in Senegal: UAVs as an intermediate step between field measurements and Sentinel-2 images

Maïalicah Nungi-Pambu, Adama Lo, Cofélas Fassinou, Torbern Tageson, Rasmus Fensholt, Abdoul Aziz Diouf, Jean Baptiste Menassol, Mohammed Habibou Assouma, Ibra Toure, Simon Taugourdeau*

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

Abstract

Monitoring available feed for livestock is a key factor for developing pastoralism in the Sahel, and satellite images has proven useful in monitoring dry mass on large spatial scales. This approach requires field measurements of dry mass (herbaceous and woody plants) to calibrate such models based on Earth observation data. However, the need for representative field measurements can be a challenge when considering the low spatial resolution of available satellite data. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) can produce very high-resolution images, so we tested UAVs as an intermediate step between field measurements and satellite images, to bridge the difference in spatial scale. We used 43 orthomosaics from a red-green-blue (RGB) UAV sensor in combination with field measurements of herbaceous and woody dry biomass at sites located primarily in the northern/central and southernmost parts of Senegal. We developed a dry mass model trained with filed observed measurements to be applied on the UAV orthomosaics. The dry mass information obtained from these UAV maps was subsequently related to vegetation indices derived from Sentinel-2 data to produce a national-scale 10 m spatial resolution baseline map of herbaceous and woody dry mass for Senegal in 2020. We obtained a high correlation between dry mass derived from UAV and Sentinel-2 indices (R² = 0.91), suggesting a robust basis for national-scale mapping. Lastly, our map was compared with a state-of-the-art annual reference map based on satellite remote sensing. This comparison showed a difference of 21 million tons of dry mass at national level. We concluded that bridging the spatial gap between field and satellite observations using spatially representative UAV data collection is a cost-effective approach for accurate mapping of dry mass at national level using freely available Sentinel-2 satellite data.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftInternational Journal of Remote Sensing
Vol/bind45
Udgave nummer13
Sider (fra-til)4199-4218
ISSN0143-1161
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
This research was funded by the Carbon Sequestration and Green-house Gas Emissions in (Agro) Sylvopastoral Ecosystems in the Sahelian CILSS States (CaSSECS) project, supported by the European Union under the Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA) initiative. The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the European Union. This work was supported by the French National Research Agency under the Investments for the Future Programme #DigitAg, referred to as ANR-16-CONV- 0004. TT was additionally funded by Formas (Dnr. F 2021/718), and the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA Dnr 95/16 and F2022/497).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 CIRAD.

Citationsformater