The integration of a satellite spectral analysis into a heather moorland management model (HMMM): The case of Moidach More,northeast Scotland,U.K.

In this paper, high resolution, remotely-sensed data are investigated as a source of management information for moorland vegetation communities on a hypothetical farm in a marginal farming area of Scotland. A hybrid technique for vegetation mapping is adopted. This involves unsupervised machine classification of spectral variation in digitally enhanced air photographs and satellite imagery, together with visual interpretation of the imagery in both the laboratory and the field. This technique enables relative estimates of annual gross biomass production, for a range of vegetation types, to be obtained. The data are integrated into a simple heather moorland management model (HMMM), to produce potential sheep-stocking capacities under a range of management scenarios, the possible financial implications of these scenarios are also assessed.