Web Site Could Help Arizona Ranchers by utilizing GIS technology

The University of Arizona has created a Web site that could help ranchers determine where on their property to put their cattle to make sure the animals are properly fed.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Salt Lake Tribune

Ranchers now have to ride on horseback or drive from acre to acre on their ranches to check on the health of their grazing pastures.

The Web site created by the university, with help from NASA and Raytheon, can improve the process.

The site, called RangeView, http://rangeview.arizona.edu/ allows users to see how green the vegetation is in certain areas and view it relative to the average.
RangeView uses satellite imagery collected from NASA and turns the images into time-series animations so the viewer can see how vegetation in the area has changed over time.
"This tool is very, very powerful. There’s nothing like this on the Web right now," said Barron Orr, an assistant professor and geospatial extension specialist working on the project.

Ranchers can use the data to determine whether their cattle should be moved from a certain pasture to ensure that grass is not over-stressed and cattle are efficiently fed.

The condition of certain acres can often be overlooked during on-foot examinations.