ABSTRACT
DISCover International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme Data and Information System, Global Land Cover Classi¤cation
DLDD Deserti¤cation, land degradation, and drought dNBR Di¦erenced normalized burn ratio EDR Environmental Data Record Eionet European Environment Information and
Observation Network EM Electromagnetic ENVISAT Environmental Satellite EOS Earth Observing System ERS-2 European Remote Sensing (satellite) ERTS Earth Resources Technology Satellite ESA European Space Agency ETM+ Enhanced Ÿematic Mapper Plus EVI Enhanced vegetation index FAO Food and Agricultural Organization of the
United Nations fPAR Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation FRE Fire radiative energy (in Joules) FROM-GLC Fine Resolution Observation and Monitoring of
Global Land Cover FRP Fire radiative power (in Watts) GAC Global Area Coverage GDAS Global Data Assimilation System GEF Global Environmental Facility GEO-5 Fi¬h Global Environment Outlook GEO BON Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity
Observation Network GIMMS Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies GIS Geographic information system GLADA Global Assessment of Land Degradation and
Improvement GLADIS Global Land Degradation Information System GLASOD Global assessment of human-induced soil
degradation GLC2000 Global Land Cover 2000 GPP Gross primary production GVMI Global Vegetation Moisture Index HRVIR Haute Résolution dans le Visible et l’Infra-Rouge
(French) IDRISI a geographic information system and remote
sensing so¬ware produced by Clark University IGBP International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme IRS Indian Remote Sensing J Joules JPSS Joint Polar Satellite System LADA Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands LAI Leaf area index LCCS Land cover classi¤cation system LEWS Livestock Early Warning System LNS Local net primary productivity scaling LUS Land use system LWCI Leaf Water Content Index LWIR Long Wave Infrared
MEA Millennium Ecosystem Assessment MERIS Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer MODIS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer MSI Moisture Stress Index MSS Multispectral Scanner MTBS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity MWIR Mid-wave Infrared NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NDBR Normalized di¦erence burn ratio NDII Normalized Di¦erence Infrared Index NDVI Normalized Di¦erence Vegetation Index NDWI Normalized Di¦erence Water Index NIR Near infrared (0.7-1.0 µm) NLCD National Land Cover Database NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NPoP National Polar-orbiting Partnership NPP Net primary productivity NWCG National Wild¤re Coordinating Group OLI Optical Land Imager P Precipitation PET Potential Evapotranspiration PHYGROW Phytomass Growth Simulation Model PSNnet Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
net photosynthesis product RdNBR Relativized di¦erenced normalized burn ratio Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development RUE Rain use e¶ciency SAVI Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index SDGs Sustainable development goals SSI Soil Stability Index SST Sea Surface Temperature SOVEUR Mapping of Soil and Terrain Vulnerability in
Central and Eastern Europe SPOT Satellite Pour l’Observation de la Terre (French) SWIR Shortwave infrared (1.1-2.4 µm) SWIR2.2 Shortwave infrared (2.08-2.35 µm) Tg teragrams TIROS-N Television Infrared Observation Satellite-Next
Generation TIRS Ÿermal Infrared Sensor TM Ÿematic Mapper (Landsat) TNDVI Transformed Normalized Di¦erence Vegetation
Index TVI Transformed Vegetation Index UMD University of Maryland UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat
Deserti¤cation UNEP United Nations Environment Program USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGS United States Geological Survey VASClimO Variability Analyses of Surface Climate
Observations VGT VEGETATION sensor onboard SPOT satellite VI Vegetation Index
VIIRS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite W Watts WHR Wildlife Habitat Relationship
Ÿe term “rangeland” is rather nebulous, and there is no single de¤nition of rangeland that is universally accepted by land managers, scientists, or international bodies (Lund, 2007; Reeves and Mitchell, 2011). Dozens and possibly hundreds (Lund, 2007) of de¤nitions and ideologies exist because various stakeholders o¬en have unique objectives requiring di¦erent information. For the purpose of describing the role of remote sensing in a global context, it is, however, necessary to provide de¤nitions to orient the reader. Ÿe Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations convened a conference in 2002 and again in 2013 to begin addressing the issue of harmonizing de¤nitions of forest-related activities. Based on this concept, here rangelands are considered lands usually dominated by nonforest vegetation. Ÿe Society for Range Management de¤nes rangelands as (SRM, 1998)
Land on which the indigenous vegetation (climax or natural potential) is predominantly grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs and is managed as a natural ecosystem. If plants are introduced, they are managed similarly. Rangelands include natural grasslands, savannas, shrublands, many deserts, tundra, alpine communities, marshes, and wet meadows.
