Systematic review of remote sensing technology for grassland biodiversity monitoring: Current status and challenges

Abstract

Remote sensing technology plays an indispensable role in the monitoring of grassland biodiversity, with developments towards a space–sky–ground integrated monitoring network. At present, there is an urgent need to summarize the progress of existing research, systematically grasp the overall development direction, and provide theoretical and application guidance for the in-depth promotion of grassland biodiversity management. The objective of this study was to systematically summarize the progress of remote sensing for grassland biodiversity monitoring. First, a bibliographic analysis of the relevant studies from 2000 to 2022 was conducted, and then a systematic exposition was made from three aspects, namely, remote sensing observation platforms and sensors, the dimensions and indicators of grassland biodiversity observation and the main methods. Finally, the current problems and future development directions were summarized. The study found that the current monitoring of grassland biodiversity in the region still has major problems, such as an insufficient integration of multisource remote sensing, a need to enrich the monitoring level, and a limited analysis method. It is recommended that a space–sky–ground integrated monitoring network be constructed in the future to facilitate the systematic monitoring of grassland biodiversity across multiple dimensions, scales and trophic levels. Furthermore, the analysis methods and techniques should be strengthened. The results of this study can contribute to a deeper understanding of the application of remote sensing technology in grassland biodiversity monitoring and provide scientific references for related research.