Improved Estimation of Aboveground Biomass of Disturbed Grassland through Including Bare Ground and Grazing Intensity

Accurate approaches to aboveground biomass (AGB) estimation are required support appraisal of the effectiveness land use measures, which seek protect grazing-adapted grasslands atop Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). This methodological study assesses one commonly used visible band vegetation index, Red Green Blue Vegetation Index (RGBVI), obtained from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), in estimating AGB timely and accurately at local scale, seeking improve accuracy by taking into account situ collected information on disturbed grassland. Particular emphasis is placed upon mapping quantification areas grazing (simulated via mowing) plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) that have led emergence bare ground. The initial model involving only RGBVI performed poorly underestimating high around 10% overestimating low about 10%. was modified mowing intensity ratio ground metrics. former almost doubled R2 = 0.44 0.81. However, this modification caused be overestimated 38 19 g m−2 for 2018 2019, respectively. Although further metrics improved slightly 0.88, it markedly reduced overestimation values. It recommended incorporated micro-scale AGB, together with metrics, especially severely meadows a sizable portion