Jawarneh, Rana N. , Makhamreh, Zeyad , Obeidat, Nizar , Al-Taani, Ahmed
2025-11-01 GEOGRAPHIES 2025 5(卷), 4(期), (null页)
This study employs an integrated framework that combines field-based measurements, remote sensing, and Geographic Information Systems (GISs) to monitor vegetation dynamics and assess the suitability of a steppe range reserve for livestock grazing. Forty-three surface and subsurface soil samples were collected in April and November 2021 to capture seasonal variations. Above-ground biomass (AGB) measurements were recorded at five sampling locations across the reserve. Six Sentinel-2 satellite imageries, acquired around mid-March 2016-2021, were processed to derive time-series Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data, capturing temporal shifts in vegetation cover and density. The GIS-based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was employed to model the suitability of the reserve for livestock grazing. The results showed higher salinity, total dissolved solids (TDSs), and nitrate (NO3) values in April. However, the percentage of organic matter increased from approximately 7% in April to over 15% in November. The dry forage productivity ranged from 111 to 964 kg/ha/year. On average, the reserve's dry yield was 395 kg/ha/year, suggesting moderate productivity typical of steppe rangelands in this region. The time-series NDVI analyses showed significant fluctuations in vegetation cover, with lower NDVI values prevailing in 2016 and 2018, and higher values estimated in 2019 and 2020. The grazing suitability analysis showed that 13.8% of the range reserve was highly suitable, while 24.4% was moderately suitable. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring grazing practices to enhance forage availability and ecological resilience in steppe rangelands. By integrating satellite-derived metrics with in situ vegetation and soil measurements, this study provides a replicable methodological framework for assessing and monitoring rangelands in semi-arid regions.