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TECHNICAL REFERENCE DOCUMENT

SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY, AND 

COMBAT LAND DEGRADATION

1. Introduction

Production of food and fiber, and the maintenance and restoration of soil and water resources are 

vital to human welfare. Increasing population is creating greater demands for resources, 

generating more waste, and is consequently straining the capacity of the environment to support 

human activity. High consumption and industrialization, disparity of distribution patterns of 

wealth and land, conflicting politics, poverty, and inefficient technology interact with population 

growth to further tax the ability of natural resources, agriculture and forestry practices to provide 

for the estimated 6 billion human inhabitants of the Earth. Consequently, sustainable land use and 

the prevention of land degradation have become domestic and international priorities.

Agricultural, forest, pasture and range landscapes are important for commodity production, 

sources of water for municipal and industrial use, wildlife habitat, and a variety of other ecosystem 

services. The emphasis is on land directly used for production, and for surrounding natural areas. 

Landscape health affects air quality, and water quality, and thus has potential consequences for 

human health. 

Production security provides a foundation for domestic and international economies. Earth 

observations are used as criteria for decisions to maintain the security of production resources and 

assure competitive global economy participation. The supply of food, fiber, ecosystem services, 

and market information can often be linked to simple information needs. 

An objective of good environmental stewardship is combating land degradation. An essential 

element of stewardship includes monitoring public and private lands for indicators of decreased 

physical capacity of a landscape to produce food and fiber, function as a viable watershed, and 

maintain functional assemblages of plant and animal species for ecosystem health. By gaining a 

better understanding of the environment through Earth observations and models, links between 

cause and effects of land use practices, and natural or man-made changes can be made.

2. User Requirements

Of the nearly 2.3 billion acres of land in the United States, approximately 650 million acres, or 28 

percent, are owned by the Federal Government. Approximately 90 percent of all non-Federal 

lands, or about 1.5 billion acres, are in cropland, rangeland, pastureland, and private non-industrial 
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forestland managed by millions of individuals. Thus, users of Earth observations range from 

strategic to production level decision makers in Federal, Tribal, and State governments, and 

industry, including land managers and individual producers. 

Producers are interested in their own land and production of competing producers both 

domestically and internationally. The success or failure of crops in one region of the globe can 

affect supply and demand elsewhere and can thus influence decisions as to how much to invest in

production, what to produce, and how much to plant. Assessing timber resources for harvestable 

lumber prior to making a decision to purchase frequently involves observations of foreign forests. 

Developing countries require Earth observations to inventory and manage natural resources, set 

priorities for land use, and help them compete in global markets as producers. 

Earth observations are required to 1) continually monitor domestic and foreign production, and 2) 

conduct on-going audits of the status of baseline resources. Reasons for (1) are: to assure food 

security, maintain marketplace competitiveness, improve production efficiency, and improve risk 

management. Reasons for (2) include: assure sustainable production and future resource use, 

maintain or improve landscape health, monitor the progress of recovery from damage caused by 

episodic weather events, over-use, pest infestations, etc. Producers require continual feedback on 

within-season production progress for remedial actions when factors limiting production such as 

pests, water, nutrient deficiency, or drought intervene. Both requirements support government 

activities such as managing public lands, monitoring for compliance with land use agreements and 

resource conservation legislation, and detecting signs of bioterrorism.

Earth observations are widely used for assessments of production and resource conditions at a 

point in time (i.e. a “snapshot”). However, there is a need to move beyond the emphasis of 

“snapshot” assessments to the incorporation of observations into models that can be used to 

predict yield or resources status as a consequence of future climate, management, biotic, and 

abiotic changes. Modeling of landscape systems and human land use activities is accomplished 

through careful in situ monitoring and analysis of factors such as soil parameters, plant 

productivity indications, water resources, and species composition and abundance. Remote 

sensing further contributes basic data for modeling and can provide a tool for interpolating or 

“scaling up” in situ observations to coarser spatial scales.

There is a critical need to identify observations or metrics that can serve as indicators of 

environmental health status. Environmental indicators are scientific measurements or quantities 

derived from measurements that track environmental conditions over time. Indicators help 

measure the state of our air, water, biotic, and land resources, the pressures on them, and the 

resulting effects on ecological and human health. Indicators can be used to track progress towards 

making the air cleaner, the water purer, maintaining biodiversity, and protecting landscapes. 

Major issues associated with sustainable agriculture, forestry, and responsible resource 

stewardship include:
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• Monitoring domestic and foreign yearly yields and harvests of food, and fiber 

production at field, local, regional and global scales.

• Measuring soil erosion from wind and water. 

• Detecting impacts of global change, especially climate.

• Detecting the presence of, and then monitoring the spread of invasive species, 

including plants, animals, insects and diseases affecting agriculture, forestry, and 

natural resources, 

• Detecting, and measuring, contamination of soil, water, and air resources, 

including dispersion of pollutants. 

• Detecting indicators of landscape health (i.e. impacts of resource degradation on 

agroecosystems, and natural ecosystems)

• Measuring resources involved in the development and production of biofuels.

• Detecting, and measuring, the impact of, and the progress of recovery from, 

episodic catastrophic events such as drought, flood, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic 

eruptions, earthquakes and wildfires.

• Detecting the effects of bioterrorism (e.g. plant diseases, water-born pathogens), 

and monitoring progress of remediation.

• Metrics for maintenance of soil quality, especially organic matter, and chemistry.

• Detecting and measuring landscape factors indicating compliance with agreements 

between landowners/operators and federal and state agencies (e.g. Conservation 

Reserve Program (CRP), easements, timber sales, rangeland management).

• Detecting and measuring landscape factors indicating compliance with 

international treaties and agreements.

• Identifying pathways that transport hazardous waste, and measuring the amounts 

and ultimate fates of waste.

• Measuring the status and changes of habitat and effects on plant and animal 

biological diversity.

• Measurements to identify and quantify factors influencing water quantity and water 

quality and air quality.

• Measuring greenhouse gas dynamics, especially factors relevant to carbon 

sequestration, and climate change.

• Measuring the long-term effects of the use of ground water. 

Data requirements are guided by user needs and a recognized set of principles. Measurements 

must be:

• Timely: there is a need for frequent updates of observations; turn-around times 

from measurement and processing to delivery to users must be rapid.
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• Consistent: measurements must be repeatable through time and space with 

precision.

• Calibrated: observations must be conducted in a manner that achieves a high 

degree of accuracy with a quantitative understanding of the errors associated with 

measurement and processing. 

• Sustained: planned for long-term acquisition, or until a technological innovation 

arises that can provide a superior information solution. 

• Comprehensive: providing a clear understanding of the status of, and changes in 

agriculture, forest, range, and natural area resources.

• Relevant: few decisions affecting natural resource management are made based on 

a single piece of information, thus Earth observations must be conducted with 

attention to their context of use. 

• Standardized: compatible formats, units, and calibrations are needed to allow 

observations from diverse sources to be integrated. 

Attention must also be focused on:

• Spatial scale of observations: ranging from detection of variations within 

individual farm fields to observing global conditions 

• Linking observations across scales without magnifying errors.

• Time-sensitive observations that must be rapidly acquired, processed, and reported.

• Validation of observations. 

• Collection of data for use with models 

3. Existing Capabilities and Commonalities 

Many users, especially government services, rely heavily on remotely sensed data from aircraft 

and satellite systems as a starting point for information. Industry users range from large 

corporations to individual producers. Users have varying levels of image-handling and analysis 

expertise. Use of the skills of manual image analysis (i.e. photointerpretation), are still 

widespread, whereas computer aided image processing requires specialized training and tools and 

is not as prevalent among users. 

Wavelengths of interest include visible, near infrared, short wave infrared, thermal infrared, 

microwave and RADAR. Optical wavelength multispectral systems dominate use because of their 

widespread availability. There is considerable research on applications of hyperspectral systems, 

despite the limited availability of these instruments. Technological advancements of imaging 

LIDAR and demonstrations of its utility are increasing. 
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Remotely sensed data from satellites come from a variety of systems. The systems encompass 

high spatial resolution systems such as Ikonos, Quickbird and SPOT, the medium spatial 

resolution of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Terra ASTER, and spatially coarse resolution 

systems such as Terra-MODIS, Aqua-MODIS, SPOT-Vegetation, AVHRR, and GOES. Medium 

and coarse resolution satellite data are accessed whenever possible because of its multi-temporal 

global coverage capability, and attention to calibration by providers. High resolution satellite data 

are especially useful for areas where collection of data from aircraft is either infeasible or 

prohibitively expensive. The use of high-resolution satellite data has been limited by its relatively 

high cost, and licensing restrictions. The use of optical wavelength remote sensing systems is 

severely limited in many cases by the availability of infrequent coverage due to cloud cover. 

Radar observations are accessed from RADARSAT International, and from airborne systems 

deployed for specific objectives. Microwave systems are more limited in their use, primarily via 

satellite for SSM/I. Some airborne systems are used, however, for research purposes, and 

topographic mapping, radar is now being offered by commercial firms. 

Airborne systems are of major importance to many government, industry and non government 

organization (NGO) users. There is considerable use of photographic systems ranging from small 

format aerial photography to large format aerial photography. Color and color infrared are 

preferred for most applications. Digital cameras and multispectral systems are increasingly used. 

There is limited use of hyperspectral imaging due to its decreased availability, high cost, and need 

for specialized expertise during analysis. However, there is an increasing and robust body of 

research on the use of hyperspectral systems to measure leaf and canopy chemistry, crop yields, 

and plant health, not only for agriculture, but also as a general indicator of biosphere condition. 

Airborne thermal systems are also being increasingly used in agriculture and forestry with a 

primary application being fire detection and mapping. 

In situ observations are conducted from both automated systems, and by individuals or 

organizations on an “as-needed” basis for specific objectives. A number of existing in situ

monitoring systems and programs could serve as a developmental model of future global ground 

based monitoring systems. Some of these include the projects and systems listed as Table.1.

Baseline inventories of resources such as soil characteristics (texture, organic content, pH, 

moisture retention capacity, etc.), topography, watershed boundaries serve as base map 

information and are used for within-season production management and for pre-season production 

strategy formulation. Currently, most of these factors are measured in situ with samples taken at 

scattered locations that are interpolated for areal coverage. Research on models such as 

pedotransfer functions is providing tools to further exploit basic soils data currently available to 

domestic users via STATSGO and SURGO data bases. Individual domestic and some foreign 

producers now have the capacity to map topography using GPS equipment mounted on farm 

tractors, combines, sprayers, etc. Commercial firms offer services that provide information such 

as topography, soil texture, soil pH, soil organic matter, soil nutrient status, and broadcast GPS 

differential correction signals. 
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Table 1 Examples of U.S. Government Programs collecting detailed 

in-situ environmental data

Program Types of Data Agency Website

AIRNow Air Quality Data USEPA http://www.epa.gov/airnow/

BBS Breeding Bird 

Survey USGS http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/

CERCLIS Hazardous Waste 

Sites USEPA http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/cursites/

EMAP

Environmental 

Monitoring & 

Assessment 

Program

USEPA http://www.epa.gov/emap/ 

FIA Forest Quality USFS http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fia/

GAP Biological 

Resources USGS http://www.gap.uidaho.edu/

NRI

National 

Resources 

Inventory 

USDA http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/NRI/

NWIS Water Quality 

Data USGS http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis

STATSGO Soil Parameters NRCS http://www.ncgc.nrcs.usda.gov/branch/ss

b/products/statsgo/index.html

PMP

Pesticide 

Monitoring 

Program

USDHHS http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/pesrpts.ht

ml

REVA

Regional 

Vulnerability 

Assessment 

Program

 USEPA http://www.epa.gov/reva/ 

USCRN Climate 

Observations NCDC http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/uscrn/

GAM

Geographic 

Analysis & 

Monitoring 

Program

 USGS http://gam.usgs.gov/

PINSAT Pintail Duck 

Monitoring USGS http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pinsat/

BBS Breeding Bird 

Survey USGS http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/

NAAMP

North American 

Amphibian 

Monitoring 

Program

USGS http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/naamp/

GWA Ground Water 

Atlas USGS http://capp.water.usgs.gov/gwa/gwa.html
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BEST

Biomonitoring 

Environmental 

Status & Trends

USGS http://www.best.usgs.gov/

CropExpl

orer

Production 

Estimates and 

Crop Assessment 

Division

USDA-FAS http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/cropexplor

er/

AERONET Aerosol Robotic 

Network NASA http://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov/

JAWF Joint Agricultural 

Weather Facility USDA/NOAA

http://www.usda.gov/agency/oce/waob/ja

wf/

WDC-BTE

World Data Center 

for Biodiversity & 

Terrestrial Ecology

USGS/NBII http://wdc.nbii.gov

SCAN Soil Climate 

Analysis Network USDA-NRCS http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/scan/

Weather-related data for irrigation scheduling and determination of microclimate conditions 

(suitable for species habitat characterization, forecasting the probability of pest outbreaks, 

potential for forest and rangeland fires, etc.) rely on Federal state, and privately-owned and 

supported meteorological networks. 

Species inventories are conducted for terrestrial and aquatic systems, and in both managed and 

natural ecosystems. Long term in situ monitoring that can provide direct measurements of 

agricultural and forestry sustainability and land degradation include:

• Species abundance/biodiversity (number of species present per unit area)

• Species density (number of individuals or percent land covered per unit area)

• Native/non-native species ratio

• Degree of infestation by pathogens

• Reproductive success (number of offspring surviving to adulthood)

Species inventories require exhaustive time, effort, and expertise to be completed. For example, 

the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory of the Great Smoky Mountains has estimated there are 

100,000 species present, excluding bacteria, yet only about 10% were identified when the project 

started in 1999. Since then, there have been about 3,000 species determined new to the park and 

500 of them are new to science.

The following are the most significant common information needs:

• Land cover and land use within, and surrounding, a particular landscape or 

ecosystem: the required detail for meeting program objectives ranges from highly 

specific (crop type, species, plant community, etc.) to general (agricultural, 

forested, urban, etc.). Definitions of land cover vary by application and by spatial 
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resolution, as do requirements for accuracy. Imagery ranging from panchromatic 

aerial photography to coarse resolution multispectral satellite data is used for land 

cover and land use analysis. 

• Change detection of land cover, and plant and animal species composition: it is 

important to assess short term changes such as within a growing season or long 

term ranging from years to decades or more.

• Weather data for domestic and international agricultural monitoring programs: 

There is considerable reliance on these data by organizations from sources such as 

NOAA, NASA, USAF, and WMO. Weather data are accessed in the form of 

weather station observations, radiosondes, multispectral satellite imagery, reports 

from weather observers, and other automated instruments such as AERONET for 

atmospheric optical properties. Some secondary data are obtained through 

measuring the quantity and timing of the streamflow in the Nation’s rivers.

• Geolocation via the Global Positioning System (GPS): this has become a standard 

component of almost all Earth observations. Real-time differential GPS methods 

access U.S. National Differential GPS base station signals, FAA Wide Area 

Augmentation System (WAAS) signals, or commercially-available signa ls. Postprocessed differential GPS corrections using Continuous Online Reference Station 

(CORS) data or other local base station data remain an important source of data for 

many applications. Kinematic GPS is used for in situ and airborne applications. 

The current information revolution in agriculture, forestry, and natural resources 

management is largely focused on a demand for geo-located Earth observations. 

• Field data in the form of animal specimen locality records and vegetation plots are 

used for modeling habitat distribution, and calibrating remotely sensed spatial data, 

as well as for validation and accuracy assessment. Field data for operational 

purposes are frequently the most expensive to acquire. 

• Topography in the form of a digital elevation map (DEM): This is commonly used 

as an element of base maps. Accuracy requirements range from sub-meter to tens 

of meters. Photogrammetric methods still dominate acquisition. RADAR, LIDAR 

and kinematic GPS are gaining in use. Watershed boundaries are especially 

important to producers, land managers, and governmental programs focused on soil 

and water quality issues. 

• Soil series maps, and USGS 1:24,000 scale maps depicting waterways, and cultural 

features, etc. are common sources of base maps for many applications. Use 

extends beyond suitability for planting to susceptibility to erosion, construction of 

infrastructure including access routes, etc.

• Long-term data for change detection, calibration of algorithms, and species 

inventory: There is a need to continue converting historical imagery, maps, field 

notes, and data sheets to digital form. 
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A tool commonly used by users is the Geographic Information System (GIS). GIS is employed as 

a tool during data collection, as a common platform for assimilating data from multiple sources, 

conducting analysis, and communicating information. Data and information are communicated via 

tables (i.e. statistics) and maps. Digital maps from a GIS can be used to drive variable-rate withinfield planting, irrigation, and agrochemical applications. 

The spatial scales for observations range from sub-landscape (i.e. within-field) to global. The time 

scales range from hourly to decades. Applications demand more accurate and finer scale 

information as the intensity of land use increases and expands into less resilient soils, and less 

favorable climatic conditions. Industry needs are primarily for higher spatial and temporal 

resolution. Higher spatial resolution is also particularly important for many international users. 

Small cultivation areas and different cultivation practices of many regions of the world often make 

it difficult to ascertain what parts of a landscape are under cultivation by developing countries. 

4. Major Gaps and Challenges

Significant discontinuities of in situ, airborne and satellite data exist through space and time. 

Interpolation of in situ data using linear and weighted methods such as kriging has become a 

standard element of data processing. A lack of timely data often forces a compromise of analysis 

and ultimately decisions based on the criteria. It is often difficult to engage the services of 

qualified airborne imagery providers when needed. Agency efforts to acquire complete “snapshot” 

image and in situ observations of the U.S. for baseline resource audits can require several years. 

Observations of non-U.S. landscapes suffer from a paucity of in situ observations of almost all 

types. Reasons include a lack of technology, availability of trained personnel, access to politically 

sensitive areas, and competition for limited resources required to adequately fund observation 

efforts. 

The significance of remote sensing imagery as a baseline data source for applications, coupled 

with concerns about data discontinuities through space and time communicates a strong message 

from users: there is a critical need for a dedicated operational land-observing system. Although 

users point to the benefits of Landsat imagery, the specific characteristics of an operational system 

of this type will incorporate improvements driven by user information requirements. A design 

element of an operational Landsat-type system will be to eliminate as many spatial and temporal 

data discontinuities as possible. The development of operational hyperspectral imaging 

capabilities, both at the aircraft and satellite levels, will significantly enhance the utility of data 

from land observing systems.

Remotely sensed soil moisture and precipitation are major data gaps. Maps of soil moisture are 

needed for management of production, drought forecast and monitoring, flood forecasting, and 

quantification of landscape health. Remotely sensed precipitation is needed to fill gaps of 

traditional weather station rain gauges and the limited coverage of in situ radar (NEXRAD).Other 

weather and climate-related observations used in models such as incoming solar radiation and 

CO2 flux are spatially sparse.
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Environmental modeling is relatively spatially imprecise. While models can be very accurate at 

large scales or for an “average” situation, finer scale heterogeneity in resources and management 

practices restrict the utility for specific locations. As land management and agriculture 

applications continue to refine management systems and respond to niche markets, this 

heterogeneity is likely to be amplified. Similarly, information for profitable and sustainable 

operational systems will have to be very site specific to be of value. Thus, further model 

development, model optimization, and model validation are needed. This impacts Earth 

observations as models 1) often only work for specific geographic regions, ecosystems, and 

species, and 2) often dictate what observations are to be taken. The complexities of ecosystem 

structure and function further enforce the need for interdisciplinary teams when building models. 

It is widely recognized that optimization and validation of models for specific locations and 

applications are critical. These complexities of landscape structure and function and management 

practices further enforce the need for interdisciplinary teams that can develop new technologies 

and methodologies to disaggregate process models to individual sites reliably and efficiently.

Challenges to achieving adequate Earth observations for sustainable agriculture and forestry, 

environmental stewardship, and maintaining marketplace competitiveness are scientific, 

technological, economic, and organizational. Data distribution is becoming dominated by use of 

Internet Web site downloading tools. There is also considerable use of FTP, especially for large

data sets. Use of postal services and shipping are still common especially for very large data sets, 

printed materials, and physical samples. This is especially prevalent for archived data not yet 

converted to digital form. However, a lack of awareness of and access to data remain significant 

barriers. The lack of common data formats, units, instrument calibrations, and algorithms for data 

collection continue to be challenges for exchange and use of data, and more importantly, 

information derived from measurements. The development of Earth observation technologies has 

surpassed those currently employed for applications, such that users often lack the benefit of the 

latest advancements. The ability to rapidly infuse new observations into existing organizational 

infrastructure is a significant consideration. New or better observations may yield improved 

information for the application at hand, yet may be difficult to incorporate into an organization’s 

or individual’s operating procedures, or may not be comparable with previously collected 

observations.

The development of decision support systems (DSS) that use Earth observations is now 

recognized as priority for facilitating the use of Earth observations. The DSS completes the chain 

of system elements that begins with data acquisition and ends with information delivery to a user 

within the context of an application. Critical elements for successful DSS adoption include 

simplicity and flexibility: the system must be convenient to use.

The mission of regulatory agencies and those monitoring for compliance with program agreements 

and regulations demand accurate observations that are acceptable as evidence when legal action is 

warranted. Careful attention to the selection of observations that will serve as metrics requires 

scientific and legal review by non-regulatory science agencies. Attention to the maintenance of 

confidentiality to insure privacy of participants will be integral to the process.
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Expanding and enhancing existing systems such as in situ networks or short-term measurement 

field campaigns are a continuing challenge. Such endeavors, although critical, rarely capture the 

attention of decision makers allocating yearly resources. Thus, important inventory and survey 

programs may be limited by funding cycles: monitoring ends with funding, award of graduate 

degrees. Collecting, synthesizing and interpreting resource health information is an important 

public service and critical to developing and implementing cost-effective conservation programs.

5. Future Earth Observation Systems that May Fill Gaps

Several future systems will provide data of interest to sustainable agriculture and forestry, efforts 

to combat land degradation:

• Landsat-follow-on satellite system. Its form is to be driven by user information 

needs, noting that an 8-day or better revisit time is needed for many agricultural 

monitoring applications.

• Hydros for mapping soil moisture will provide critically-needed data for many 

applications.

• NPOESS as a source of high quality coarse scale resolution imagery. 

• The next generation of geostationary satellites: the use of imagery from these 

systems is underutilized. Recent exploitation of these systems suggests that its use 

is expected to increase.

• Digital airborne systems are expected to gradually replace photographic airborne 

systems.

• In situ automated systems are gaining in reliability and are being expanded. 

Existing networks include systems such as SCAN, AERONET, NSIP, FLUXNET, 

automated weather stations, etc. Locations of such systems on LTER and USDA 

experimental watersheds are expected to expand as these research facilities expand 

and become long-term.

Mechanisms for the delivery of observations from these systems are needed by all users.

The IWGEO agriculture team is currently discussing the following topics for the conduct, sharing 

and use of Earth observations needed to support sustainable agriculture and forestry, and 

combating land degradation:

• The greatest unfulfilled requirement is the need to implement an operational 

Landsat-type satellite remote sensing system that can deliver time-sensitive 

information. 

• Involvement of users in decisions regarding the conduct of observations, and 

especially the delivery of data and information to insure that information from 

Earth observations is ava ilable to users in a manner that is rapid and convenient.
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• Linking observations across scales while constraining errors will require specific 

attention to research on scaling methodologies.

• Integrating Earth observations into decision models employed by decision makers 

at local and strategic levels, and guiding how, when and where to conduct Earth 

observations by inputs needed for the models. 

• Maximizing the awareness of and access to data via new organizational operating 

procedures, and communication mechanisms.

• Conducting research to optimize models and systems for specific applications and 

geographic locations.

• Fostering partnerships and collaborations across disciplinary, organizational, 

national and international boundaries to address Earth observations needs, 

andevaluating the scientific, technological, and organizational requirements to 

accomplish this.

• Developing organizational mechanisms and technologies to ensure that long-term 

observations are made and centrally archived.

• Standardizing and coordinating in situ data collection. 

A dedicated global land observation system, based on in situ, airborne, and satellite systems, both 

research and operational is suggested. An agricultural monitoring system would function as part of 

the system. A critical element will be developing the technology to make Earth observation data 

available to users rapidly and conveniently. Making such a system successful will require users at 

both strategic and production levels to re-examine what types of Earth observations are used, how 

the data are used, how the data are accessed, and how the data are incorporated into an 

organizational infrastructure for processing and analysis. The improvement of the utility of Earth 

observations will happen through education, the development of DSS, improved dissemination, 

standardization, and research.

6. Interagency and International Partnerships

Partnerships exist between private land managers, Federal agencies, Conservation Districts, 

Resource Conservation and Development Councils, state and local conservation agencies and 

organizations, NGOs, state, local and tribal governments, rural communities, businesses, 

universities, and others. Cooperation among these organizations seek to increase agricultural 

productivity and efficiency, conserve natural resources, improve the environment, and enhance 

quality of life for rural areas. Federal, State and industry partners actively engage in education, 

research and conduct of Earth observations. Individual companies exist that specialize in the 

conduct and analysis of specialized Earth observations.

Types of partnerships include formal agreements that may include exchange of resources, or 

informal agreements to employ common standards, formats, strategies, etc. International 

partnerships foster education, research information management and aid via explicit political 
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agreements or informally by scientific communities. Information management and exchange are 

emphasized by the participants. There is also exchange of Earth observations by international 

industries. Satellite and airborne data such as SPOT, VMI satellite data are examples. However, 

U.S. commercial and much foreign imagery is licensed. Licensed data can restrict its distribution 

and limit partnerships. 

The most successful partnerships to address challenging agricultural and environmental issues 

cross disciplines, agencies, and national, and international boundaries. The Multi-Resolution Land 

Characteristics (MRLC) consortium, for example, was formed during 1992 between several 

Federal agencies to share the cost of acquiring satellite-based remotely sensed data. The MRLC 

consortium included the USGS, EPA, NOAA, USFS, NASA, and BLM. The MRLC leveraged 

common user requirements with the efficiency of combined federal agency purchase to acquire a 

national dataset of Landsat Imagery and to develop several LULC datasets. From the 1990s 

through the present, the MRLC resulted in several successful national mapping programs, 

including the: (1) Coastal Change Analysis Project (C-CAP) administered by NOAA; (2) Gap 

Analysis Project (GAP) directed by the Biological Resources Division of the USGS; and the 

National Land Cover Data (NLCD) project directed by both the USGS and EPA.

Industry utilizes formal and informal partnerships. Commodity groups, cooperatives, 

service/consultant relationships, and trade associations are examples. Relationships between 

agribusiness and producers are often especially critical during the adoption of new technologies 

and associated products. Open communication of product performance, and guidance on its use 

between users is often the key to the adoption of innovative technologies. Agreement on 

engineering standards, data standards, and software and hardware compatibility are dealt with via 

partnerships. The role of universities, via extension and research organizations is recognized as 

important to successful partnerships among users, between data providers and users, and between 

data providers. 

7. U.S. Capacity Building Needs

Capacity building is the development of human skills and capabilities, such as leadership, 

management and technical expertise. The United Nations Development Program includes the 1) 

creation of an enabling environment with appropriate policy and legal frameworks, 2) institutional 

development, including community participation, and 3) human resources development and 

strengthening of managerial systems, as three critical elements for capacity building. Ensuring the 

availability of Earth observation systems to support sustainable agriculture and forestry, and 

combat land degradation domestically and globally will require an adherence to these elements via 

education, research, and team building.

Education builds scientific, agricultural, and environmental literacy. It recruits, retains, and 

graduates the best and the brightest of a diverse population, ensuring the value of future research.

Multidisciplinary education to include new technologies, especially geospatial tools is an 

emerging trend. Education is also of benefit to Earth observation users and Ea rth observation 

providers. There is also a need to communicate the value of Earth observations to decision makers, 
WORKING MATERIAL—Does not Represent U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICY

FOR TECHNICAL REVIEW ONLY

November 8, 2004 Support Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry Technical Reference Document 

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and the public. This includes expanding awareness of the utility of various Earth observations, 

such as satellite data, to new applications.

Research and development are conducted by government, non-governmental organizations, 

universities, and industry to address specific application requirements, and translate science to 

specific applications at specific scales for specific locations. Incentives for continued expansion of 

knowledge of Earth systems, and technological innovation, will be critical. Improved 

communication between users of Earth observations and researchers will ensure that the right 

research questions are investigated, and that new Earth observation-appropriate technologies are 

developed. Information needs and opportunities for improved technologies for Earth observations 

should guide research.

Solving specific problems will require focused teams to address specific problems across 

disciplines, agencies, across national and international boundaries. Research that integrates 

biophysical, social, and economic skills is needed in areas such as detecting and responding to 

bioterrorism, regional water and air quality, biodiversity management, and the incursion of 

invasive species.

Research and development to meet information needs by translating science to technology require 

partnership teams to pose and solve problems across disciplines, agencies, national, and 

international boundaries. International aid and cooperative research programs are focused on 

providing assistance for Earth observation programs and training scientists within developing 

countries.

Training scientists about the importance of metadata in all areas of data management is being 

undertaken by the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), in their "Training the 

Trainer" program, which is offered to government, NGO, and academic participants at national 

and international levels. The NBII offers a variety of workshops on the Federal Geographic Data 

Committee's metadata standard, with a specific focus on the Biological Data Profile.