Assessment of RapidEye vegetation indices for estimation of leaf area index and biomass in corn and soybean crops

Leaf area index (LAI) and biomass are important indicators of crop development and the availability of this information during the growing season can support farmer decision making processes. This study demonstrates the applicability of RapidEye multi-spectral data for estimation of LAI and biomass of two crop types (corn and soybean) with different canopy structure, leaf structure and photosynthetic pathways. The advantages of Rapid Eye in terms of increased temporal resolution (∼daily), high spatial resolution (∼5 m) and enhanced spectral information (includes red-edge band) are explored as an individual sensor and as part of a multi-sensor constellation. Seven vegetation indices based on combinations of reflectance in green, red, red-edge and near infrared bands were derived from RapidEye imagery between 2011 and 2013. LAI and biomass data were collected during the same period for calibration and validation of the relationships between vegetation indices and LAI and dry above-ground biomass. Most indices showed sensitivity to LAI from emergence to 8 m²/m². The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the red-edge NDVI and the green NDVI were insensitive to crop type and had coefficients of variations (CV) ranging between 19 and 27%; and coefficients of determination ranging between 86 and 88%. The NDVI performed best for the estimation of dry leaf biomass (CV = 27% and r² = 090) and was also insensitive to crop type. The red-edge indices did not show any significant improvement in LAI and biomass estimation over traditional multispectral indices. Cumulative vegetation indices showed strong performance for estimation of total dry above-ground biomass, especially for corn (CV ≤ 20%). This study demonstrated that continuous crop LAI monitoring over time and space at the field level can be achieved using a combination of RapidEye, Landsat and SPOT data and sensor-dependant best-fit functions. This approach eliminates/reduces the need for reflectance resampling, VIs inter-calibration and spatial resampling.     

Aboveground biomass mapping in French Guiana by combining remote sensing,forest inventories and environmental data

Mapping forest aboveground biomass (AGB) has become an important task, particularly for the reporting of carbon stocks and changes. AGB can be mapped using synthetic aperture radar data (SAR) or passive optical data. However, these data are insensitive to high AGB levels (>150 Mg/ha, and >300 Mg/ha for P-band), which are commonly found in tropical forests. Studies have mapped the rough variations in AGB by combining optical and environmental data at regional and global scales. Nevertheless, these maps cannot represent local variations in AGB in tropical forests. In this paper, we hypothesize that the problem of misrepresenting local variations in AGB and AGB estimation with good precision occurs because of both methodological limits (signal saturation or dilution bias) and a lack of adequate calibration data in this range of AGB values. We test this hypothesis by developing a calibrated regression model to predict variations in high AGB values (mean >300 Mg/ha) in French Guiana by a methodological approach for spatial extrapolation with data from the optical geoscience laser altimeter system (GLAS), forest inventories, radar, optics, and environmental variables for spatial inter- and extrapolation. Given their higher point count, GLAS data allow a wider coverage of AGB values. We find that the metrics from GLAS footprints are correlated with field AGB estimations (R² = 0.54, RMSE = 48.3 Mg/ha) with no bias for high values. First, predictive models, including remote-sensing, environmental variables and spatial correlation functions, allow us to obtain “wall-to-wall” AGB maps over French Guiana with an RMSE for the in situ AGB estimates of ∼50 Mg/ha and R² = 0.66 at a 1-km grid size. We conclude that a calibrated regression model based on GLAS with dependent environmental data can produce good AGB predictions even for high AGB values if the calibration data fit the AGB range. We also demonstrate that small temporal and spatial mismatches between field data and GLAS footprints are not a problem for regional and global calibrated regression models because field data aim to predict large and deep tendencies in AGB variations from environmental gradients and do not aim to represent high but stochastic and temporally limited variations from forest dynamics. Thus, we advocate including a greater variety of data, even if less precise and shifted, to better represent high AGB values in global models and to improve the fitting of these models for high values.     

Remotely sensed biomass over steep slopes: An evaluation among successional stands of the Atlantic Forest,Brazil

Remotely sensed images have been widely used to model biomass and carbon content on large spatial scales. Nevertheless, modeling biomass using remotely sensed data from steep slopes is still poorly understood. We investigated how topographical features affect biomass estimation using remotely sensed data and how such estimates can be used in the characterization of successional stands in the Atlantic Rainforest in southeastern Brazil. We estimated forest biomass using a modeling approach that included the use of both satellite data (LANDSAT) and topographic features derived from a digital elevation model (TOPODATA). Biomass estimations exhibited low error predictions (Adj. R² = 0.67 and RMSE = 35 Mg/ha) when combining satellite data with a secondary geomorphometric variable, the illumination factor, which is based on hill shading patterns. This improved biomass prediction helped us to determine carbon stock in different forest successional stands. Our results provide an important source of modeling information about large-scale biomass in remaining forests over steep slopes.     

Above ground biomass estimation in an African tropical forest with lidar and hyperspectral data

The estimation of above ground biomass in forests is critical for carbon cycle modeling and climate change mitigation programs. Small footprint lidar provides accurate biomass estimates, but its application in tropical forests has been limited, particularly in Africa. Hyperspectral data record canopy spectral information that is potentially related to forest biomass. To assess lidar ability to retrieve biomass in an African forest and the usefulness of including hyperspectral information, we modeled biomass using small footprint lidar metrics as well as airborne hyperspectral bands and derived vegetation indexes. Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) was adopted to cope with multiple inputs and multicollinearity issues; the Variable of Importance in the Projection was calculated to evaluate importance of individual predictors for biomass. Our findings showed that the integration of hyperspectral bands (R² = 0.70) improved the model based on lidar alone (R² = 0.64), this encouraging result call for additional research to clarify the possible role of hyperspectral data in tropical regions. Replacing the hyperspectral bands with vegetation indexes resulted in a smaller improvement (R² = 0.67). Hyperspectral bands had limited predictive power (R² = 0.36) when used alone. This analysis proves the efficiency of using PLSR with small-footprint lidar and high resolution hyperspectral data in tropical forests for biomass estimation. Results also suggest that high quality ground truth data is crucial for lidar-based AGB estimates in tropical African forests, especially if airborne lidar is used as an intermediate step of upscaling field-measured AGB to a larger area.     

Modeling biophysical properties of broad-leaved stands in the hyrcanian forests of Iran using fused airborne laser scanner data and ultraCam-D images

Inventories of mixed broad-leaved forests of Iran mainly rely on terrestrial measurements. Due to rapid changes and disturbances and great complexity of the silvicultural systems of these multilayer forests, frequent repetition of conventional ground-based plot surveys is often cost prohibitive. Airborne laser scanning (ALS) and multispectral data offer an alternative or supplement to conventional inventories in the Hyrcanian forests of Iran. In this study, the capability of a combination of ALS and UltraCam-D data to model stand volume, tree density, and basal area using random forest (RF) algorithm was evaluated. Systematic sampling was applied to collect field plot data on a 150 m × 200 m sampling grid within a 1100 ha study area located at 36°38′- 36°42′N and 54°24′–54°25′E. A total of 308 circular plots (0.1 ha) were measured for calculation of stand volume, tree density, and basal area per hectare. For each plot, a set of variables was extracted from both ALS and multispectral data. The RF algorithm was used for modeling of the biophysical properties using ALS and UltraCam-D data separately and combined. The results showed that combining the ALS data and UltraCam-D images provided a slight increase in prediction accuracy compared to separate modeling. The RMSE as percentage of the mean, the mean difference between observed and predicted values, and standard deviation of the differences using a combination of ALS data and UltraCam-D images in an independent validation at 0.1-ha plot level were 31.7%, 1.1%, and 84 m³ ha⁻¹ for stand volume; 27.2%, 0.86%, and 6.5 m² ha⁻¹ for basal area, and 35.8%, −4.6%, and 77.9 n ha⁻¹ for tree density, respectively. Based on the results, we conclude that fusion of ALS and UltraCam-D data may be useful for modeling of stand volume, basal area, and tree density and thus gain insights into structural characteristics in the complex Hyrcanian forests.     

Applications of ALOS PALSAR for monitoring biophysical parameters of a degraded black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) forest

Within the last few decades mangrove forests worldwide have been experiencing high annual rates of loss and many of those that remain have undergone considerable degradation. To understand the condition of these forests, various optical remote sensing platforms have been used to map and monitor these wetlands, including the use of these data for biophysical parameter mapping. For many mangrove forests a reliable source of optical imagery is not possible given their location in quasi-permanent cloud cover or smoke covered regions. In such cases it is recommended that Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) be considered. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationships between various ALOS-PALSAR modes, acquired from eight images, and mangrove biophysical parameter data collected from a black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) dominated forest that has experienced considerable degradation. In total, structural data were collected from 61 plots representing the four common stand types found in this degraded forest of the Mexican Pacific: tall healthy mangrove (n = 17), dwarf healthy mangrove (n = 15), poor condition mangrove (n = 13), and predominantly dead mangrove (n = 16).Based on backscatter coefficients, significant negative correlation coefficients were observed between filtered single polarization ALOS PALSAR (6.25 m) HH backscatter and Leaf Area Index (LAI). When the dead stands were excluded (n = 45) the strength of these relationships increased. Moreover, significant negative correlation coefficients were observed with stand height, Basal Area (BA) and to a lesser degree with stem density and mean DBH. With the coarser spatial resolution dual-polarization and quad polarization data (12.5 m) only a few, and weaker, correlation coefficients were calculated between the mangrove parameters and the filtered HH backscatter. However, significant negative values were once again calculated for the HH when the 16 dead mangrove stands were removed from the sample. Conversely, strong positive significant correlation coefficients were calculated between the cross-polarization HV backscatter and LAI when the dead mangrove stands were considered. Although fewer in comparison to the HH correlations, a number of VV backscatter based relationships with mangrove parameters were observed from the quad polarization mode and, to a lesser extent, with the one single VV polarization data.In addition to backscatter coefficients, stepwise multiple regression models of the mangrove biophysical parameter data were developed based on texture parameters derived from the grey level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) of the ALOS data. A similar pattern to the backscatter relationships was observed for models based on the single polarization unfiltered data, with fairly strong coefficients of determination calculated for LAI and stem height when the dead stands were excluded. In contrast, similar coefficients of determination with biophysical parameters were observed for the dual and quad polarization multiple regression models when the dead stands were both included and excluded from the analyses. An estimated mangrove LAI map of the study area, derived from a multiple regression model of the quad polarization texture parameters, showed comparable spatial patterns of degradation to a map derived from higher spatial resolution optical satellite data.     

Historical forest biomass dynamics modelled with Landsat spectral trajectories

Estimation of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) is informative of the role of forest ecosystems in local and global carbon budgets. There is a need to retrospectively estimate biomass in order to establish a historical baseline and enable reporting of change. In this research, we used temporal spectral trajectories to inform on forest successional development status in support of modelling and mapping of historic AGB for Mediterranean pines in central Spain. AGB generated with ground plot data from the Spanish National Forest Inventory (NFI), representing two collection periods (1990 and 2000), are linked with static and dynamic spectral data as captured by Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensors over a 25 year period (1984–2009). The importance of forest structural complexity on the relationship between AGB and spectral vegetation indices is revealed by the analysis of wavelet transforms. Two-dimensional (2D) wavelet transforms support the identification of spectral trajectory patterns of forest stands that in turn, are associated with traits of individual NFI plots, using a flexible algorithm sensitive to capturing time series similarity. Single-date spectral indices, temporal trajectories, and temporal derivatives associated with succession are used as input variables to non-parametric decision trees for modelling, estimation, and mapping of AGB and carbon sinks over the entire study area. Results indicate that patterns of change found in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values are associated and relate well to classes of forest AGB. The Tasseled Cap Angle (TCA) index was found to be strongly related with forest density, although the related patterns of change had little relation with variability in historic AGB. By scaling biomass models through small (∼2.5 ha) spatial objects defined by spectral homogeneity, the AGB dynamics in the period 1990–2000 are mapped (70% accuracy when validated with plot values of change), revealing an increase of 18% in AGB irregularly distributed over 814 km² of pines. The accumulation of C calculated in AGB was on average 0.65 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, equivalent to a fixation of 2.38 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ of carbon dioxide.     

Mapping forest biomass from space – Fusion of hyperspectral EO1-hyperion data and Tandem-X and WorldView-2 canopy height models

Spaceborne sensors allow for wide-scale assessments of forest ecosystems. Combining the products of multiple sensors is hypothesized to improve the estimation of forest biomass. We applied interferometric (Tandem-X) and photogrammetric (WorldView-2) based predictors, e.g. canopy height models, in combination with hyperspectral predictors (EO1-Hyperion) by using 4 different machine learning algorithms for biomass estimation in temperate forest stands near Karlsruhe, Germany. An iterative model selection procedure was used to identify the optimal combination of predictors. The most accurate model (Random Forest) reached a r² of 0.73 with a RMSE of 14.9% (29.4 t/ha). Further results revealed that the predictive accuracy depended highly on the statistical model and the area size of the field samples. We conclude that a fusion of canopy height and spectral information allows for accurate estimations of forest biomass from space.     

Estimating winter wheat biomass by assimilating leaf area index derived from fusion of Landsat-8 and MODIS data

A sufficient number of satellite acquisitions in a growing season are essential for deriving agronomic indicators, such as green leaf area index (GLAI), to be assimilated into crop models for crop productivity estimation. However, for most high resolution orbital optical satellites, it is often difficult to obtain images frequently due to their long revisit cycles and unfavorable weather conditions. Data fusion algorithms, such as the Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (STARFM) and the Enhanced STARFM (ESTARFM), have been developed to generate synthetic data with high spatial and temporal resolution to address this issue. In this study, we evaluated the approach of assimilating GLAI into the Simple Algorithm for Yield Estimation model (SAFY) for winter wheat biomass estimation. GLAI was estimated using the two-band Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI2) derived from data acquired by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard the Landsat-8 and a fusion dataset generated by blending the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data and the OLI data using the STARFM and ESTARFM models. The fusion dataset had the temporal resolution of the MODIS data and the spatial resolution of the OLI data. Key parameters of the SAFY model were optimised through assimilation of the estimated GLAI into the crop model using the Shuffled Complex Evolution-University of Arizona (SCE-UA) algorithm. A good agreement was achieved between the estimated and field measured biomass by assimilating the GLAI derived from the OLI data (GLAI_L) alone (R² = 0.77 and RMSE = 231 g m⁻²). Assimilation of GLAI derived from the fusion dataset (GLAI_F) resulted in a R² of 0.71 and RMSE of 193 g m⁻² while assimilating the combination of GLAI_L and GLAI_F led to further improvements (R² = 0.76 and RMSE = 176 g m⁻²). Our results demonstrated the potential of using the fusion algorithms to improve crop growth monitoring and crop productivity estimation when the number of high resolution remote sensing data acquisitions is limited.     

Augmenting forest inventory attributes with geometric optical modelling in support of regional susceptibility assessments to bark beetle infestations

Assessment of the susceptibility of forests to mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) infestation is based upon an understanding of the characteristics that predispose the stands to attack. These assessments are typically derived from conventional forest inventory data; however, this information often represents only managed forest areas. It does not cover areas such as forest parks or conservation regions and is often not regularly updated resulting in an inability to assess forest susceptibility. To address these shortcomings, we demonstrate how a geometric optical model (GOM) can be applied to Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery (30 m spatial resolution) to estimate stand-level susceptibility to mountain pine beetle attack. Spectral mixture analysis was used to determine the proportion of sunlit canopy and background, and shadow of each Landsat pixel enabling per pixel estimates of attributes required for model inversion. Stand structural attributes were then derived from inversion of the geometric optical model and used as basis for susceptibility mapping. Mean stand density estimated by the geometric optical model was 2753 (standard deviation ± 308) stems per hectare and mean horizontal crown radius was 2.09 (standard deviation ± 0.11) metres. When compared to equivalent forest inventory attributes, model predictions of stems per hectare and crown radius were shown to be reasonably estimated using a Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA (p < 0.001). These predictions were then used to create a large area map that provided an assessment of the forest area susceptible to mountain pine beetle damage.     

Improving the prediction of arsenic contents in agricultural soils by combining the reflectance spectroscopy of soils and rice plants

Visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy provides a beneficial tool for investigating soil heavy metal contamination. This study aimed to investigate mechanisms of soil arsenic prediction using laboratory based soil and leaf spectra, compare the prediction of arsenic content using soil spectra with that using rice plant spectra, and determine whether the combination of both could improve the prediction of soil arsenic content. A total of 100 samples were collected and the reflectance spectra of soils and rice plants were measured using a FieldSpec3 portable spectroradiometer (350–2500 nm). After eliminating spectral outliers, the reflectance spectra were divided into calibration (n = 62) and validation (n = 32) data sets using the Kennard-Stone algorithm. Genetic algorithm (GA) was used to select useful spectral variables for soil arsenic prediction. Thereafter, the GA-selected spectral variables of the soil and leaf spectra were individually and jointly employed to calibrate the partial least squares regression (PLSR) models using the calibration data set. The regression models were validated and compared using independent validation data set. Furthermore, the correlation coefficients of soil arsenic against soil organic matter, leaf arsenic and leaf chlorophyll were calculated, and the important wavelengths for PLSR modeling were extracted. Results showed that arsenic prediction using the leaf spectra (coefficient of determination in validation, R_v² = 0.54; root mean square error in validation, RMSE_v = 12.99 mg kg⁻¹; and residual prediction deviation in validation, RPD_v = 1.35) was slightly better than using the soil spectra (R_v² = 0.42, RMSE_v = 13.35 mg kg⁻¹, and RPD_v = 1.31). However, results also showed that the combinational use of soil and leaf spectra resulted in higher arsenic prediction (R_v² = 0.63, RMSE_v = 11.94 mg kg⁻¹, RPD_v = 1.47) compared with either soil or leaf spectra alone. Soil spectral bands near 480, 600, 670, 810, 1980, 2050 and 2290 nm, leaf spectral bands near 700, 890 and 900 nm in PLSR models were important wavelengths for soil arsenic prediction. Moreover, soil arsenic showed significantly positive correlations with soil organic matter (r = 0.62, p < 0.01) and leaf arsenic (r = 0.77, p < 0.01), and a significantly negative correlation with leaf chlorophyll (r = −0.67, p < 0.01). The results showed that the prediction of arsenic contents using soil and leaf spectra may be based on their relationships with soil organic matter and leaf chlorophyll contents, respectively. Although RPD of 1.47 was below the recommended RPD of >2 for soil analysis, arsenic prediction in agricultural soils can be improved by combining the leaf and soil spectra.     

A new 500-m resolution map of canopy height for Amazon forest using spaceborne LiDAR and cloud-free MODIS imagery

In the present study, we aimed to map canopy heights in the Brazilian Amazon mainly on the basis of spaceborne LiDAR and cloud-free MODIS imagery with a new method (the Self-Organizing Relationships method) for spatial modeling of the LiDAR footprint. To evaluate the general versatility, we compared the created canopy height map with two different canopy height estimates on the basis of our original field study plots (799 plots located in eight study sites) and a previously developed canopy height map. The compared canopy height estimates were obtained by: (1) a stem diameter at breast height (D) – tree height (H) relationship specific to each site on the basis of our original field study, (2) a previously developed D–H model involving environmental and structural factors as explanatory variables (Feldpausch et al., 2011), and (3) a previously developed canopy height map derived from the spaceborne LiDAR data with different spatial modeling method and explanatory variables (Simard et al., 2011). As a result, our canopy height map successfully detected a spatial distribution pattern in canopy height estimates based on our original field study data (r = 0.845, p = 8.31 × 10⁻³) though our canopy height map showed a poor correlation (r = 0.563, p = 0.146) with the canopy height estimate based on a previously developed model by Feldpausch et al. (2011). We also confirmed that the created canopy height map showed a similar pattern with the previously developed canopy height map by Simard et al. (2011). It was concluded that the use of the spaceborne LiDAR data provides a sufficient accuracy in estimating the canopy height at regional scale.     

Spectral resampling based on user-defined inter-band correlation filter: C3 and C4 grass species classification

In this paper, a user-defined inter-band correlation filter function was used to resample hyperspectral data and thereby mitigate the problem of multicollinearity in classification analysis. The proposed resampling technique convolves the spectral dependence information between a chosen band-centre and its shorter and longer wavelength neighbours. Weighting threshold of inter-band correlation (WTC, Pearson's r) was calculated, whereby r = 1 at the band-centre. Various WTC (r = 0.99, r = 0.95 and r = 0.90) were assessed, and bands with coefficients beyond a chosen threshold were assigned r = 0. The resultant data were used in the random forest analysis to classify in situ C₃ and C₄ grass canopy reflectance. The respective WTC datasets yielded improved classification accuracies (kappa = 0.82, 0.79 and 0.76) with less correlated wavebands when compared to resampled Hyperion bands (kappa = 0.76). Overall, the results obtained from this study suggested that resampling of hyperspectral data should account for the spectral dependence information to improve overall classification accuracy as well as reducing the problem of multicollinearity.     

Assessing the utility WorldView-2 imagery for tree species mapping in South African subtropical humid forest and the conservation implications: Dukuduku forest patch as case study

Indigenous forest biome in South Africa is highly fragmented into patches of various sizes (most patches < 1 km²). The utilization of timber and non-timber resources by poor rural communities living around protected forest patches produce subtle changes in the forest canopy which can be hardly detected on a timely manner using traditional field surveys. The aims of this study were to assess: (i) the utility of very high resolution (VHR) remote sensing imagery (WorldView-2, 0.5–2 m spatial resolution) for mapping tree species and canopy gaps in one of the protected subtropical coastal forests in South Africa (the Dukuduku forest patch (ca.3200 ha) located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal) and (ii) the implications of the map products to forest conservation. Three dominant canopy tree species namely, Albizia adianthifolia, Strychnos spp. and Acacia spp., and canopy gap types including bushes (grass/shrubby), bare soil and burnt patches were accurately mapped (overall accuracy = 89.3 ± 2.1%) using WorldView-2 image and support vector machine classifier. The maps revealed subtle forest disturbances such as bush encroachment and edge effects resulting from forest fragmentation by roads and a power-line. In two stakeholders’ workshops organised to assess the implications of the map products to conservation, participants generally agreed amongst others implications that the VHR maps provide valuable information that could be used for implementing and monitoring the effects of rehabilitation measures. The use of VHR imagery is recommended for timely inventorying and monitoring of the small and fragile patches of subtropical forests in Southern Africa.     

Evaluating the relationship between biomass,percent groundcover and remote sensing indices across six winter cover crop fields in Maryland,United States

Winter cover crops are an essential part of managing nutrient and sediment losses from agricultural lands. Cover crops lessen sedimentation by reducing erosion, and the accumulation of nitrogen in aboveground biomass results in reduced nutrient runoff. Winter cover crops are planted in the fall and are usually terminated in early spring, making them susceptible to senescence, frost burn, and leaf yellowing due to wintertime conditions. This study sought to determine to what extent remote sensing indices are capable of accurately estimating the percent groundcover and biomass of winter cover crops, and to analyze under what critical ranges these relationships are strong and under which conditions they break down. Cover crop growth on six fields planted to barley, rye, ryegrass, triticale or wheat was measured over the 2012–2013 winter growing season. Data collection included spectral reflectance measurements, aboveground biomass, and percent groundcover. Ten vegetation indices were evaluated using surface reflectance data from a 16-band CROPSCAN sensor. Restricting analysis to sampling dates before the onset of prolonged freezing temperatures and leaf yellowing resulted in increased estimation accuracy. There was a strong relationship between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and percent groundcover (r² = 0.93) suggesting that date restrictions effectively eliminate yellowing vegetation from analysis. The triangular vegetation index (TVI) was most accurate in estimating high ranges of biomass (r² = 0.86), while NDVI did not experience a clustering of values in the low and medium biomass ranges but saturated in the higher range (>1500 kg/ha). The results of this study show that accounting for index saturation, senescence, and frost burn on leaves can greatly increase the accuracy of estimates of percent groundcover and biomass for winter cover crops.     

Vegetation chlorophyll estimates in the Amazon from multi-angle MODIS observations and canopy reflectance model

As a preparatory study for future hyperspectral missions that can measure canopy chemistry, we introduce a novel approach to investigate whether multi-angle Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data can be used to generate a preliminary database with long-term estimates of chlorophyll. MODIS monthly chlorophyll estimates between 2000 and 2015, derived from a fully coupled canopy reflectance model (ProSAIL), were inspected for consistency with eddy covariance fluxes, tower-based hyperspectral images and chlorophyll measurements. MODIS chlorophyll estimates from the inverse model showed strong seasonal variations across two flux-tower sites in central and eastern Amazon. Marked increases in chlorophyll concentrations were observed during the early dry season. Remotely sensed chlorophyll concentrations were correlated to field measurements (r² = 0.73 and r² = 0.98) but the data deviated from the 1:1 line with root mean square errors (RMSE) ranging from 0.355 μg cm⁻² (Tapajós tower) to 0.470 μg cm⁻² (Manaus tower). The chlorophyll estimates were consistent with flux tower measurements of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and net ecosystem productivity (NEP). We also applied ProSAIL to mono-angle hyperspectral observations from a camera installed on a tower to scale modeled chlorophyll pigments to MODIS observations (r² = 0.73). Chlorophyll pigment concentrations (Chl_A+B) were correlated to changes in the amount of young and mature leaf area per month (0.59 ≤  r² ≤  0.64). Increases in MODIS observed Chl_A+B were preceded by increased PAR during the dry season (0.61 ≤ r² ≤  0.62) and followed by changes in net carbon uptake. We conclude that, at these two sites, changes in LAI, coupled with changes in leaf chlorophyll, are comparable with seasonality of plant productivity. Our results allowed the preliminary development of a 15-year time series of chlorophyll estimates over the Amazon to support canopy chemistry studies using future hyperspectral sensors.     

A new calibration of the effective scattering albedo and soil roughness parameters in the SMOS SM retrieval algorithm

This study focuses on the calibration of the effective vegetation scattering albedo (ω) and surface soil roughness parameters (H_R, and N_Rp, p = H,V) in the Soil Moisture (SM) retrieval from L-band passive microwave observations using the L-band Microwave Emission of the Biosphere (L-MEB) model. In the current Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) Level 2 (L2), v620, and Level 3 (L3), v300, SM retrieval algorithms, low vegetated areas are parameterized by ω = 0 and H_R = 0.1, whereas values of ω = 0.06 − 0.08 and H_R = 0.3 are used for forests. Several parameterizations of the vegetation and soil roughness parameters (ω, H_R and N_Rp, p = H,V) were tested in this study, treating SMOS SM retrievals as homogeneous over each pixel instead of retrieving SM over a representative fraction of the pixel, as implemented in the operational SMOS L2 and L3 algorithms. Globally-constant values of ω = 0.10, H_R = 0.4 and N_Rp = −1 (p = H,V) were found to yield SM retrievals that compared best with in situ SM data measured at many sites worldwide from the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN). The calibration was repeated for collections of in situ sites classified in different land cover categories based on the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) scheme. Depending on the IGBP land cover class, values of ω and H_R varied, respectively, in the range 0.08–0.12 and 0.1–0.5. A validation exercise based on in situ measurements confirmed that using either a global or an IGBP-based calibration, there was an improvement in the accuracy of the SM retrievals compared to the SMOS L3 SM product considering all statistical metrics (R = 0.61, bias = −0.019 m³ m⁻³, ubRMSE = 0.062 m³ m⁻³ for the IGBP-based calibration; against R = 0.54, bias = −0.034 m³ m⁻³ and ubRMSE = 0.070 m³ m⁻³ for the SMOS L3 SM product). This result is a key step in the calibration of the roughness and vegetation parameters in the operational SMOS retrieval algorithm. The approach presented here is the core of a new forthcoming SMOS optimized SM product.     

Modeling BVOC isoprene emissions based on a GIS and remote sensing database

This paper presents a geographic information systems (GIS) model to relate biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) isoprene emissions to ecosystem type, as well as environmental drivers such as light intensity, temperature, landscape factor and foliar density. Data and techniques have recently become available which can permit new improved estimates of isoprene emissions over Hong Kong. The techniques are based on Guenther et al., 1993, Guenther et al., 1999 model. The spatially detailed mapping of isoprene emissions over Hong Kong at a resolution of 100 m and a database has been constructed for retrieval of the isoprene maps from February 2007 to January 2008. This approach assigns emission rates directly to ecosystem types not to individual species, since unlike in temperate regions where one or two single species may dominate over large regions, Hong Kong's vegetation is extremely diverse with up to 300 different species in 1 ha. Field measurements of emissions by canister sampling obtained a range of ambient emissions according to different climatic conditions for Hong Kong's main ecosystem types in both urban and rural areas, and these were used for model validation. Results show the model-derived isoprene flux to have high to moderate correlations with field observations (i.e. r² = 0.77, r² = 0.63, r² = 0.37 for all 24 field measurements, subset for summer, and winter data, respectively) which indicate the robustness of the approach when applied to tropical forests at detailed level, as well as the promising role of remote sensing in isoprene mapping. The GIS model and raster database provide a simple and low cost estimation of the BVOC isoprene in Hong Kong at detailed level. City planners and environmental authorities may use the derived models for estimating isoprene transportation, and its interaction with anthropogenic pollutants in urban areas.     

Retrieving aboveground biomass of wetland Phragmites australis (common reed) using a combination of airborne discrete-return LiDAR and hyperspectral data

Wetland biomass is essential for monitoring the stability and productivity of wetland ecosystems. Conventional field methods to measure or estimate wetland biomass are accurate and reliable, but expensive, time consuming and labor intensive. This research explored the potential for estimating wetland reed biomass using a combination of airborne discrete-return Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and hyperspectral data. To derive the optimal predictor variables of reed biomass, a range of LiDAR and hyperspectral metrics at different spatial scales were regressed against the field-observed biomasses. The results showed that the LiDAR-derived H_p99 (99th percentile of the LiDAR height) and hyperspectral-calculated modified soil-adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI) were the best metrics for estimating reed biomass using the single regression model. Although the LiDAR data yielded a higher estimation accuracy compared to the hyperspectral data, the combination of LiDAR and hyperspectral data produced a more accurate prediction model for reed biomass (R² = 0.648, RMSE = 167.546 g/m², RMSE_r = 20.71%) than LiDAR data alone. Thus, combining LiDAR data with hyperspectral data has a great potential for improving the accuracy of aboveground biomass estimation.