Student information
Msc thesis topic: Using Sentinel-2 for monitoring grazing activities in the Netherlands
This topic deals with the mapping and monitoring of grasslands in the Netherlands, particularly the difference between using it for grazing by cattle or mowing. Satellite information is a potential technology to differentiate between fields for grazing and fields for mowing. The so-called groenmonitor (www.groenmonitor.nl) is a nice interface for Dutch users, but the data behind it are available for scientific research.
More and more we see that milk products in the super market have labels related to sustainability and well-being of animals. For instance, so-called pasture milk is produced by cows who graze, i.e. who are in the field from spring to winter for at least 120 days a year, at a minimum of 6 hours a day. More and more dairy companies collect this milk separately and also process it separately. Pasture milk is used to make several pasture products such as pasture cheese and pasture yoghurt. Dairy farmers who apply grazing, receive a financial incentive. In winter there is not enough grass for the cows to graze, and the meadows are too soggy. For the Dutch government and for Dutch dairy companies it is important which farmers apply grazing and which ones do not.
Objectives
- Can one differentiate between grassland parcels used for grazing and those for mowing by using Sentinel-2 data?
- Is there an added value of using Landsat data in addition to Sentinel-2 data?
- At which scale level can this information best be obtained (e.g., pixel, field, farm, region, ...)
Requirements
- Remote sensing (GRS-20306)
- Advanced Earth Observation (GRS-32306)
Theme(s): Sensing & measuring