Assessing the Persistence of Permanent Grassland in Slovenia Using Sentinel-2 and Landsat 5/8 Time Series

To understand the condition and stability of grassland ecosystems, information on grassland persistence is essential. This study aimed to quantify the persistence of permanent grassland in Slovenia using the grassland age metric and to identify related spatiotemporal patterns of conservation and change. We analysed changes in grassland maintenance using time series of Sentinel-2 and Landsat 5/8 satellite imagery from 2000 to 2021. Using a machine learning-based Bare Soil Marker model, we identified disturbances to grassland greenness caused by exposed soil on grassland parcels. The results, presented as national statistics aggregated by administrative region, indicate that 98 % of Slovenia's permanent grasslands remained unchanged over the study period. However, substantial regional differences were observed, with losses of up to 5 % in some areas and below 0.3 % in others. These findings highlight the importance of information on grassland permanence for official national statistics and for stakeholders involved in nature conservation and land management.