Satellite-derived NDVI predicts forage availability in a wild ungulate system: validation using field-collected vegetation biomass on a temperate grassland

Satellite-derived NDVI predicts forage availability in a wild ungulate system: validation using field-collected vegetation biomass on a temperate grassland | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecology and Evolution This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 16 August 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Satellite-derived NDVI predicts forage availability in a wild ungulate system: validation using field-collected vegetation biomass on a temperate grassland Authors : Shane Butt 0009-0004-3081-7318 [email protected] , Kirsty Macphie , Richard Turner 0009-0005-4278-2148 , Sean Morris , Alison Morris , Robin Pakeman 0000-0001-6248-4133 , Loeske Kruuk , Josephine Pemberton 0000-0002-0075-1504 , and Hannah Froy Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175535118.81290225/v1 393 views 204 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Satellite-derived vegetation indices (VIs) provide a powerful means to quantify habitat variation in long-term ecological studies, but their reliability as proxies for forage availability in wild herbivore populations remains underexplored. We used three decades of Landsat satellite imagery (1991–2023) to generate a 30m resolution dataset of a proxy measure for annual vegetation greenness – the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) – for the Isle of Rum, Scotland, home to a long-term study of wild red deer (Cervus elaphus). We validated the NDVI data against field-collected vegetation biomass data and compared it with a coarser-resolution (500m) MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) metric. Landsat NDVI was positively correlated with both biomass and EVI, supporting its ecological relevance as a measure of forage availability. All three metrics have increased over the last three decades, indicating a long-term greening trend, with the higher resolution Landsat dataset revealing a variation in the rate of change among vegetation types, including grassland habitats preferred by deer. These findings suggest an increase in foraging availability over time and offer a possible mechanism underpinning observed demographic shifts, such as earlier calving. Our approach provides a transferable framework for integrating satellite data with individual-based field studies, demonstrating how remote sensing can enhance ecological inference in long-term wildlife research. Supplementary Material File (satellite-derived ndvi predicts forage availability in a wild ungulate system.docx) Download 4.17 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 16 August 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Collection Ecology and Evolution Keywords comparative ecosystem ecosystem ecology statistical terrestrial vertebrate Authors Affiliations Shane Butt 0009-0004-3081-7318 [email protected] The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences View all articles by this author Kirsty Macphie The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences View all articles by this author Richard Turner 0009-0005-4278-2148 The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences View all articles by this author Sean Morris The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences View all articles by this author Alison Morris The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences View all articles by this author Robin Pakeman 0000-0001-6248-4133 Macaulay Institute View all articles by this author Loeske Kruuk Institute of Evolutionary Biology View all articles by this author Josephine Pemberton 0000-0002-0075-1504 University of Edinburgh View all articles by this author Hannah Froy The University of Edinburgh View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 393 views 204 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Shane Butt, Kirsty Macphie, Richard Turner, et al. Satellite-derived NDVI predicts forage availability in a wild ungulate system: validation using field-collected vegetation biomass on a temperate grassland. Authorea . 16 August 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175535118.81290225/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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