ABSTRACT
Application of remote sensing (RS) technology to grassland resource management and livestock production in China is outlined. The role that the technology has played in developing sustainable grassland farming systems in western China is presented, and opportunities for further development are discussed. Use of RS technology in grassland surveys started in China in 1979. The technology has been used extensively at various levels since then in order to achieve better management of grassland resources. RS information is mainly obtained from aerial photography and satellite-based sensors, including the Landsat satellites' Multispectral Scanner (MSS) and Thematic mapper (TM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Polar Orbiter's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). Supported in part by RS technology, the first national grassland survey and inventory was completed in 1995. The technology has been used to monitor changes in grassland use; assess grassland productivity and grassland degradation; and evaluate conservation and recreation sites. Special techniques have been also developed for monitoring grassland fires; detecting snow cover and depth on grasslands; evaluating drought; and determining areas damaged by rodents.
Recently, the techniques have been used in western China development to facilitate reversion of steep sloping arable land into pasture and forest. RS technology has become a 332powerful tool for grassland scientists, extension officers and policy-makers. Based on RS technology with Geographical Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, an Expert System for Grassland Husbandry and Ecological Construction at provincal scale has been developed, and a national grassland fire monitoring system is being constructed based on information obtained from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS).
As RS technology develops and there is improvement of training and education programmes at higher educational levels, the technology will become an integral part of precision grassland agriculture in China. An era of digital grassland is coming and the science and technology of grassland RS as an integrated, independent subject will gain formal recognition by the public both in China and the world in the near future.
