Two years of in situ measurements of biophysical variables of mountain meadows in northeastern Italy

This dataset contains vegetation biophysical variables of eight meadows in the Provinces of Bolzano and Trento, in the Italian Eastern Alps, monitored approximately every two weeks during the growing seasons of 2023 and 2024. The primary objective of the field campaigns was to generate a reference dataset for the calibration and validation of Sentinel-2-derived biophysical products, particularly leaf area index (LAI), for mountain grasslands. Unlike conventional grassland monitoring programmes, the sampling strategy was specifically designed to ensure spatial representativeness at the Sentinel-2 pixel scale while minimising sampling-induced disturbance due to frequent measurements. Complementary variables were also collected, including fresh and dry aboveground biomass yield, photosynthetically active radiation, soil moisture, chlorophyll content, and sward height. The measurement protocol includes reporting of mowing events, weather conditions, yield proportions of functional groups, top cover, and lodging. Signs of recent manure application were also recorded when visible during field surveys. Regular measurements were conducted at multiple geographical locations, each corresponding to a single satellite pixel for the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. These measurements were taken biweekly at different pixels within the test sites to monitor and quantify the evolving leaf area and productivity of the meadows, providing detailed ground-based insights into vegetation dynamics. The complete data set is part of the Grassland Research and Innovation Lab of the Horizon Europe project ScaleAgData.