Two New Mobile Apps for Rangeland Inventory and Monitoring by Landowners and Land Managers

On the Ground Opportunities for rangeland inventory and monitoring have been transformed by innovations in both indicator and methods standardization and new technologies. These technologies make it easier to collect, store, access, and interpret inventory and monitoring data. The Land-Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS) platform and apps help users with little or no soils knowledge to describe their soil, and for those with little botanical knowledge to monitor key shifts in the relative dominance of plant structural groups. The system also allows users to easily share and compare their data with others.

consistency of soil texture determinations among participants, 134 while the embedded videos (which largely follow the 135 recommendations of Joly and colleagues 12 for botanical 136 keys) increase the confidence of those with little or no 137 training in successfully identifying soil texture. We have also 138 found that using the key has caused some of the more 139 experienced co-authors to take a more systematic and required depends on data connection and server speeds, but is 161 generally well under 5 minutes. Future feedback to the user 162 will include ecological site identification, relative potential 163 productivity for a variety of crops and forages, and potential 164 for wind and water erosion (which can be refined for current 165 conditions using data derived from field measurements using 166 the LandCover app).

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The LandCover app replicates the paper data forms provided for the "Stick method" in the "Monitoring 170 Rangeland Health" manual  The stick is marked at 10, 30, 50, 70, and 90 cm (or at 4, 12, 182 18, 24 and 32 inches) for data collection using the        . Relationship between AIM/NRI and LandCover methods. *Consistent methods allow for direct integration of data and databases; methods may be compatible but not entirely consistent if they result in indicators that are either less precise or must be adjusted using a calibration function. **Plant density is not a core method for AIM or NRI but is sometimes used as an optional indicator. All LandPKS methods are effectively optional, and nearly all density methods based on rooted plants are consistent. AIM indicates Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring; NRI, National Resources Inventory; LandPKS, Land-Potential Knowledge System.

Comparison With Standard Protocols
from a paper datasheet, lost a day in the field while catching 309 up on data entry, or has been responsible for the long-term 310 costs of data management and maintenance. Permanent 311 storage means that a backup copy of the data is always a few 312 clicks away (Fig. 5). The open data structure of LandPKS there is now an increasing tendency to collect ground 337 reference data using rapid, frequently qualitative (e.g., ocular), 338 field methods. 23 The reliability of data collected using such 339 methods is generally limited. 24 The LandCover app provides  26 The open data approach of the LandPKS Figure 5. Data portal. Individual plot data can be viewed by clicking on the point on the map (right side). Data export is possible for all data, or by entering the users email address to access only their own data. The edit function is available only for the users own data (left side).
means that managers and rangeland researchers will, in the 373 future, be able to search for data, information, and knowledge 374 generated from comparable locations: those in which the soil, 375 climate, and initial vegetation were similar. LandInfo can also 376 be used to avoid unintentionally adding background variability 377 to an experiment by ensuring that all plots are on similar soils.

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To fulfill core needs, we will continue to strengthen the 393 core LandInfo and LandCover apps and develop new apps.

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The primary objective of these apps is to provide the 395 information necessary to help make better long-and 396 short-term management decisions. A biomass monitoring 397 app will be based on a photo-matching key. It will also allow 398 users to upload their own photos and associated vegetation 399 weights. This is an example of how crowdsourcing will 400 directly benefit contributors, as their site-specific photos will 401 increase the precision of their own biomass estimates while 402 helping others increase their profitability and sustainability. A 403 livestock body condition score app will use a similar photo key 404 approach, while the soil health app will be developed in 405 collaboration with NRCS and other organizations currently 406 working to improve soil health monitoring and assessment.

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Finally, we have initiated work on an app that will allow 408 managers to document crop management inputs and record 409 grain, forage, and biomass yields.

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In the future, we will monitor the use of these tools and use 411 that feedback to improve them in an iterative fashion. It is our 412 hope that the technological innovations described above can 413 be mobilized toward better decision-making and enrich the 414 lives of people who live close to the land.