Rangeland biomass production, as an indicator of annual plant growth, is influenced by various factors such as climate, soil, and topography. Due to the high cost of traditional field-based measurement methods, the use of remote sensing data as a fast, cost-effective, and reliable tool has gained significant importance in natural resource management. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of Landsat-8 satellite imagery in estimating the production of different vegetation forms in the semi-steppe rangelands of the Tang-e-Sayyad Protected Area in Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari Province. Field sampling was conducted using a random-systematic method across eight sites. In each site, three macroplots (30 × 30 m) were selected, and vegetation cover and biomass data were collected using 2 × 2 m plots. The results showed that vegetation indices including NDVI, DVI, PVI, PVI1, CTVI, RATIO, RVI, SAVI, TTVI, and TVI in April had a significant relationship (P < 0.001) with the production of annual forbs species. Additionally, WDVI in June was strongly correlated (r=0.61, P < 0.001) with the production of perennial grasses, and EVI (P < 0.05) in August showed a strong relationship with total and shrub annual production. NDVI in April, as well as NDVI and EVI in August, exhibited significant correlations (P < 0.05) with total and annual production. Vegetation indices including NDVI, DVI, MSAVI1, MSAVI2 ,PVI1, PVI2, CTVI, RATIO, TSAVI1, TSAVI2, SAVI, TTVI and TVI in June showed a significant relationship with annual forbs cover (P < 0.01). AVI in August and June was correlated with the perennial grasses cover (r=0.56, r=0.45). Result showed that the high potential of satellite imagery in estimating vegetation cover and biomass of different vegetation forms in regional scale and the suceession of them with traditon and expensive methods so they can be used in sustainable rangeland management.
Soureshjani Samani R, Naghipour A A, Tahmasbi Kohyani P, Heidari Ghahfarrokhi Z. Evaluation of Landsat Satellite Imagery Capability in Estimating Production and Cover of Different Vegetation Forms. PEC 2026; 13 (27) : 8 URL: http://pec.gonbad.ac.ir/article-1-1019-en.html