Species’ declines are caused by a combination of factors that affect survival and/or breeding success. We studied the effects of a set of environmental and anthropogenic variables on the disappearance of Canarian Houbara Bustards Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae on Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), once the main stronghold of this endangered bird. Of 83 male display sites detected in 1997–1998, only 29 remained occupied in 2020–2021 (a 65% decrease in only 23 years). We compared habitat quality, density of conspecifics, other steppe birds and crows, presence of human infrastructure, and degree of environmental protection between these 29 extant sites and the 54 extinct sites using univariate analyses and generalised linear models (GLMs). The most influential variable in the abandonment of display sites was the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), an indicator of green vegetation productivity, which suggests a strong effect of habitat aridification due to climate change on the population’s extinction process. Powerline density was the second most important factor. This suggests that houbaras have survived where a greater abundance of food resources has enabled a higher breeding success, and where powerline fatalities have caused lower mortality over the years. Higher densities of houbaras, and other steppe birds and crows at extant display sites confirmed the better habitat quality in these areas. Extant display sites, located generally in protected areas, also had lower densities of human infrastructure (e.g. buildings, roads). We discuss the conservation implications of these results and provide management recommendations for this endangered subspecies.

We report how artificial nests can be utilised at scale in nest site-limited areas of Mongolia to create a managed population of Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug), an “Endangered” species that is harvested for international trade. The provision of 5,000 artificial nests created an average annual saker population of 602 (SE ± 59) breeding pairs, producing an estimated 1,735 (SE ± 272) fledglings per annum over the period 2013–2015. Our regular monitoring enabled us to identify the effects of climate and vegetation on breeding performance. A warm and dry climate prior to breeding was associated with earlier egg-laying dates, while warmer conditions during the breeding season increased fledging success. Greater vegetation biomass in the previous growth season was positively related to breeding density and earlier clutch initiation, which was associated with larger clutch size and larger fledged brood size. Furthermore, using small mammal remains from saker pellets collected at artificial nest sites, we found that higher breeding density, earlier egg laying, larger clutch size, and increased nest survival were associated with areas with a higher proportion of small mammal prey in the diet. Our results provided evidence of the role of temporal and spatial variation in climate and prey availability on breeding performance, demonstrating the requirement for dynamic modelling of variable demographic parameters to be incorporated within an adaptive management framework for the sustainable management of the Saker Falcon.

One of the largest remnants of tropical dry forest is the South American Gran Chaco. A quarter of this biome is in Paraguay, but there have been few studies in the Paraguayan Chaco. The Gran Chaco flora is diverse in structure, function, composition and phenology. Fundamental ecological questions remain in this biome, such as what bioclimatic factors shape the Chaco’s composition, structure and phenology. In this study, we integrated forest inventories from permanent plots with monthly high-resolution NDVI from PlanetScope and historical climate data from WorldClim to identify bioclimatic predictors of forest structure, composition and phenology. We found that bioclimatic variables related to precipitation were correlated with stem density and Pielou evenness index, while temperature-related variables correlated with basal area. The best predictor of forest phenology (NDVI variation) was precipitation lagged by 1 month followed by temperature lagged by 2 months. In the period with most water stress, the phenological response correlates with diversity, height and basal area, showing links with dominance and tree size. Our results indicate that even if the ecology and function of Dry Chaco Forest is characterised by water limitation, temperature has a moderating effect by limiting growth and influencing leaf flush and deciduousness.

Xanthoria parietina is a widespread foliose lichen growing on barks and rocks showing a broad spectrum of tolerance to air pollutants such as NOX and heavy metals, and resistance to UV-radiation because of the screening properties provided by the secondary metabolite parietin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of this lichen species to survive in the following simulated space conditions, UV-radiation in N2 atmosphere and UV-radiation in vacuum. The efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus was used as an indicator of vitality, and was expressed in terms of chlorophyll a fluorescence (FV/FM) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which were measured within 72 h from the exposure. Additionally, during the irradiation, the IR reflectance spectrum of the lichen was monitored in situ to assess changes in spectral bands. The results showed significant differences in physiological recovery trends between the treatments, highlighting that UV-radiation in vacuum causes stronger effects on FV/FM values. The IR analysis revealed several spectral band changes in the fingerprint region. The most visible variation was the 5200 cm−1 water band that disappeared in the overtone region. Nevertheless, X. parietina was able to survive UV-radiation in N2 atmosphere and in vacuum, and for this reason it may be considered a candidate for further evaluations on its survival capacity in extreme conditions.

GIS modeling and analysis of multispectral satellite imagery are applied to a former plantation in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), which, in 1831, became a settlement of free Africans who lived within slavery-based British colonialism. A map of the settlement represents the paternalist British government ideal for this community—an “experiment” for controlling a postemancipation peasantry—and the techniques discussed here allow clearer understanding of the way these ideals would have interacted with the physical and social landscape of the BVI had they been implemented. The residents were certainly aware of their situation, and this study does not mean to imply that they simply adopted the plan they were handed. Instead, our goal is to interrogate the implications of the plan itself. We combine least cost path (LCP), Normalized Difference Vegetation Indexes (NDVI), and other technical analyses to show the interaction of the British plan and the BVI landscape in order to describe the context in which the Kingstown community was built and maintained. Although schematic, this study quantifies at least some of the barriers the community overcame and contributes in a limited way to broader considerations of the place of land and landscape in structures of colonialism.

Field trials were conducted in 2016 and 2017 at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center in Vincennes, IN, to determine the tolerance of plasticulture-grown ‘Fascination’ triploid watermelon to flumioxazin. Treatments were applied after plastic was laid, but 1 d prior to transplanting, and consisted of row middle applications of clomazone (210 g ai ha−1) plus ethafluralin (672 g ai ha−1), flumioxazin (107 g ai ha−1), and flumioxazin (88 g ha−1) plus pyroxasulfone (112 g ai ha−1); a broadcast application of flumioxazin (107 g ha−1); and a nontreated check. The broadcast application of flumioxazin reduced watermelon vine length and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values compared with values for the nontreated check. All other herbicide treatments had vine length and NDVI values similar to those of the nontreated check. At 25/26 d after transplanting (DAP), weedy ground cover in row middles of the nontreated check was 39% and 14% in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Weedy ground cover in herbicide-containing treatments was significantly less, at ≤7% and ≤5% in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Marketable watermelon yield of the nontreated check was 77,931 kg and 11,115 fruits ha−1. The broadcast application of flumioxazin resulted in reduced marketable yield (64,894 kg ha−1) and fewer fruit (9,550 ha−1).

Optimum herbicide use is a key factor affecting the success of any integrated weed management strategy. The main objective of the current study was to implement a method based on spectrometer measurements for the in situ evaluation of herbicide efficacy and the detection of potentially herbicide-resistant weeds. Field trials were conducted in Greece between 2018 and 2020 in several durum wheat fields (Triticum durum Desf.). In all trials, the overall effect of herbicide application on the recorded Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values (at 1 and 2 wk after treatment [WAT]) was significant (P ≤ 0.001). For the majority of the surveyed fields, low NDVI values were recorded after 2,4-D application and a mixture of clopyralid + florasulam from 1 WAT, suggesting their increased efficacy. In several cases, the application of pyroxsulam + florasulam resulted in significant NDVI reductions at 2 WAT. As observed at the end of the growing seasons, the herbicides that reduced NDVI resulted in lower weed biomass. Strong correlations were observed between weed aboveground biomass and NDVI (2 WAT). In particular, R2 values were 0.8234 to 0.8649, 0.8453, 0.8595, 0.8149, and 0.8925 for the Aliartos, Thiva, Domokos, Larissa, and Orestiada fields, respectively. The overall effects of herbicide application on wheat grain yield were also significant (P ≤ 0.001). Pot experiments confirmed that the high NDVI values in some cases could be attributed to the presence of herbicide-resistant weeds. For instance, the resistance indices of two accessions of catchweed bedstraw (Galium aparine L.) to mesosulfuron-methyl + iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium ranged between 9.7 and 13.2, whereas one sterile oat [Avena sterilis L. ssp. ludoviciana (Durieu) Gillet & Magne] accession was 8.8 times more resistant to fenoxaprop-p-ethyl than a susceptible one. The present study is targeted at making a significant contribution toward establishing cause–effect relationships and presenting a useful tool for developing more effective weed management practices in more arable crops and under different soil and climatic conditions.

Satellite imagery has long been recognized as well suited for the regional and ecological questions of many archaeological surveys. One underexplored aspect of such data is their temporal resolution. It is now possible for areas to be imaged on an almost daily basis, and this resolution offers new opportunities for studying landscapes through remote sensing in parallel with ground-based survey. This article explores the applications of these data for visibility assessment and land-cover change detection in the context of the Sinis Archaeological Project, a regional archaeological survey of west-central Sardinia. We employ imagery provided by Planet, which has a spatial resolution of 3 m, in four spectral bands, and is collected daily. Using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values calculated for each survey unit, we find that there is a relationship between NDVI values and field-reported visibility in general, though the strength of this correlation differs according to land-cover classes. We also find the data to be effective at tracking short-term changes in field conditions that allow us to differentiate fields of similar land cover and visibility. We consider limitations and potentials of these data and encourage further experimentation and development.

We use models incorporating the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from remote sensing satellites to improve soybean yield predictions in 10 major producing states in the United States. Unlike traditional methods that assume an ordinary least squares model applies to all observations, we allow for global flexibility in the relationship between NDVI and soybean yield by using the flexible Fourier transform (FFT) model. FFT results confirm that there is a nonlinear response of soybean yield to NDVI over the growing season. Out-of-sample predictions indicate that allowing for global flexibility with the FFT improves the predictions in time-series prediction and forecasting.

The objective of this work was to determine the most appropriate growth stage to make reflectance measurements that would indicate yield in high yielding winter barley crops. The results indicated that where different rates of fertiliser N were applied, at the same crop growth stages, the best relationship between vegetation indices, calculated on the basis of reflectance measurements, and grain yield were found to occur from booting to early grain fill. Where the timing of fertiliser N inputs was different, for a given level of fertiliser N addition, poor correlations between vegetation indices and grain yield during the stem elongation phase were observed.

We investigated relationship between pasture biomass and measures of height and NDVI (normalised difference vegetation index). The pastures were tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), and phalaris (Phalaris aquatica) located in Tasmania, Victoria and in the Northern Tablelands of NSW, Australia. Using the Trimble® GreenSeeker® Handheld active optical sensor (AOS) to measure NDVI, and a rising plate meter, the optimal model to estimate green dry biomass (GDM) during two years was a combination of NDVI and falling plate height index. The combined index was significantly correlated with GDM in each region during winter and spring (r2=0.62–0.77, P<0.001). Regional calibrations provided a smaller error in estimates of green biomass, required for potential application in the field, compared to a single overall calibration. Data collected in a third year will be used to test the accuracy of the models.

This work was to evaluate the differences of soil and plant analysis development (SPAD) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) readings and their relationship with leaf nitrogen accumulation (LNA). The study explored new indices to diagnose nitrogen (N) status. These indices were obtained by multiplying SPAD readings and leaf area index (LAI). Linear regression relationships between Chlorophyll values and N indicators showed the SPAD readings (Chl: LNA=0.0546×Chl-0.479, R2=0.94***, P<0.001). The projected results suggested that Chl values could play an important role for improving N status diagnosis from stem elongation to heading stages in paddy rice.

Vineyards worldwide are subjected to spatial variability, which can be exhibited in both low and high yield areas. We developed a variable rate drip irrigation (VRDI) concept to reduce such variability. The VRDI system divides the vineyard into 30×30-meter irrigation zones, enabling individual irrigation of each zone according to normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) maps. The first VDRI system was installed in on a 1.2-hectare vineyard Syrah red grape in Israel. With the VRDI system, the yield, leaf area index (LAI), canopy size, water potential, and primary juice chemical analysis results were very uniformed in comparison to previous years without the system.

Biomass production is a diagnosis tool for the evaluation of the effect of climate, crop genomic and management. The differences in biomass accumulation are necessary for the assessment of the fertilization necessities in the strategies for variable nitrogen doses. Remote sensing-based data provide a direct observation of the differences in canopy development across time and space and can be integrated into the physiological basis of crop growth models to provide estimates of biomass production at fine scales. The proposed approach was applied in a wheat field in Albacete, Spain and the results were compared with measurements of aboveground biomass and yield maps obtained by a combined-mounted grain yield monitor.

To explore the potential for site-specific crop management in Australian potato production, soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) and high resolution elevation data were used to first define the variation in soil and landscape resources in two regions in Tasmania. Variation in crop production was estimated using in-season aerial multispectral VIS-NIR reflectance measurements and then measured using a first generation on-harvester yield monitoring system. During the season, soil and crop physical, chemical and pathogen properties were measured to groundtruth the sensor-derived data. Substantial within-field and between field variation was found in soil physical, chemical and pathogen properties, elevation and crop yield. The average potato yield for the study fields was 64 t/ha, with over three-fold within-field variation recorded. The in-season aerial crop reflectance significantly correlated with soil physical variability and pathogen load when gathered early in the season and to variation in plant physical and chemical properties, as well as important soil nutrient properties and crop yield when gathered from week 14 onwards. A set of general rules for instigating Site-specific crop management (SSCM) in potato production has been devised based initially on nutrient and pathogen management with irrigation management as an option.

Research on precision viticulture on table grapes is relative new compared to wine grapes. The aim of this study was to assess the spatiotemporal stability of yield and quality components in a vineyard of table grapes. The study was conducted in a commercial vineyard (1.4 ha) of table grapes for two successive cultivation years 2015 and 2016. Yield and quality parameters were assessed using destructive and non-destructive methods. The preliminary results revealed that spatiotemporal stability of management zones is affected by weather conditions and is different for each crop parameter, while NDVI presented good performance for delineating management zones.

Due to the lack of reliable yield monitor for sugarcane, production factors which impact and limit stalk yield within fields are not well-known. Thus, this study aims to evaluate whether canopy sensor technology is able to identify sugarcane biomass variability and whether obtaining other agronomic variable data can assist on biomass quantification. For that, forty targeted plots were allocated within two sugarcane-producing fields and data consisted on manual biometric evaluation, aboveground biomass measurement and canopy reflectance. As an ongoing experiment, only two evaluations were addressed (~0.3 and 0.5 m stalk height). On the earliest stage, canopy sensor readings were correlated to sugarcane biomass and their sensitivity to biomass variability was high. Further, data collected on the first evaluation was efficient in predicting biomass amount after 30 days. On the second, canopy sensor readings effectiveness to predict biomass was reduced. These findings suggest that crop canopy reflectance sensing is a useful approach to investigate sugarcane biomass spatial-variability within fields on early stages.

Aflatoxin contamination of food can cause liver cancer in humans and animals. Identification of aflatoxin risk areas allows farmers to adapt management strategies before planting, during growth and at harvest. Aflatoxin contamination is driven by high temperatures and drought conditions and crops grown on light textured soil in the south eastern USA are at particular risk. Aflatoxin assessment is expensive so a role of extension services in precision farming is to identify the areas most at risk of contamination so that farmers can adapt irrigation or planting strategies. This paper extends a county-level risk factors approach developed by Kerry et al. (2017) by investigating the use of NDVI and thermal IR data to indicate drought stress and thus aflatoxin contamination risk at the sub-county level.