Monitoring Plan

The main steps in EOV include regional calibration, creating a monitoring plan, conducting short-term and long-term monitoring, quality assurance review of the data, and reporting data to land managers. This section provides a brief overview of the process for creating a monitoring plan.

Landbase Mapping

Mapping is an essential first step in creating plans for short- and long-term ecological monitoring, assessing resources under management, and identifying different . Strata boundaries are defined and their area calculated. This is done by an accredited EOV Monitor in collaboration with the land manager.

Monitoring Plan

A is produced by an accredited EOV Monitor. The plan determines the number and location of both short-term and long-term monitoring sites.

Short-Term Monitoring Sites

Short-term monitoring is an assessment of EHI score, with a minimum of 10 sites spread across the farm, according to strata proportions. Optionally, STM can include add-ons of going through all the paddocks and assessing forage quantity and quality. Farmers need to provide information about livestock numbers, secondary production, and management activities for this extra component, which is very informative for grazing planning.

Long-Term Monitoring Sites

The number of long-term monitoring sites will depend on the number of strata and their acreage. The accredited EOV Monitor will define the number, type, and location of LTM sites according to the size and heterogeneity of the land base.

The minimum number of LTM sites is one for small, homogeneous farms, with up to 12 on large, heterogeneous landbases. These are assigned proportionally to the relative area of strata. Average EHI per strata from short-term monitoring is used to inform long-term site locations.