LandPKS Classic vs CheatMaps

Knowledge for sustainable land management – in your hands! The LandPKS Classic app helps you make more sustainable land management decisions by allowing you to access existing and collect new geo-located data about soils and vegetation on your land. The app predicts your soil and provides access to climate, habitat and sustainable land management information. It also allows you to quickly and easily track soil health and vegetation over time. Your data is stored in free cloud storage, which means that you can access your data from anywhere! LandPKS Classic app does not require a data connection to be used, so you can upload your data whenever you have connectivity. Specific features include: o A tools feature that provides easy access to tools to assess soil texture, soil color, soil identification, and water holding capacity, as well as quick access to climate data, soil health assessment methods, and a sustainable land management practice database. o The Vegetation module allows for fast and repeatable monitoring of vegetation cover over time; all you need is a yard or meter stick! Graphs of your land cover data are available immediately offline after completing these measurements. o The SoilHealth module includes clear instructions (with additional videos on the website) for monitoring soil health. o The LandInfo module makes site and soil characterization fast and easy! This module walks you through determining your soil texture by hand and helps you collect other important data points. It then provides an estimate of your soil ID and provides a Land Capability Classification to help with land use planning and land management. o The Soil Conservation module contains a database of sustainable land management practices from the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) that you can filter based on your soil and land properties. o The Habitat module provides information about animals, plants, fish, and other species found in your area, and allows you to compare your soil and vegetation data to habitat requirements (US only) Learn more about the LandPKS app with online guides and videos at https://landpotential.org. Data can be accessed at https://portal.landpotential.org The LandPKS app was initially developed by USDA-ARS in collaboration with CU Boulder and NMSU with support from USAID, BLM, NRCS, FFAR, TNC, and contributions from a large number of US and global cooperators. Since 2022, it has been stewarded by Terraso.

CheatMaps is an app designed to track the spread of cheatgrass within the Gunnison Basin, aiming to address the ecological challenges posed by its proliferation. Version 1.1 was developed as part of the 2024 Western Colorado University & University of Colorado Boulder Partnership Computer Science Capstone project. Update 2.0 is developed by the University of Colorado Computer Science capstone team. Both iterations are in collaboration with the Gunnison Sagebrush Alliance. Whether you are hiking, exploring, or spending time in the great outdoors, CheatMaps makes it easy to document cheatgrass sightings in the field. Users can first identify cheatgrass using an on-device state-of-the-art computer vision model, then submit that photo along with a description to create an observation. For more detailed observations, the app also includes AR tools that help users capture richer field data. Users can explore observations submitted by others on the map and export the dataset to better understand the spread of cheatgrass throughout the Gunnison Basin and beyond. By connecting everyday outdoor activity with ecological monitoring, CheatMaps is a valuable tool for researchers, land managers, and anyone passionate about preserving the ecological balance of the Gunnison Basin.