不同传感器的模拟植被指数对水稻叶面积指数的估测精度和敏感性分析

本研究利用水稻冠层高光谱数据,模拟NOAA-AVHRR,Terra-MODIS和Landsat-TM的可见光波段反射率数据,计算各传感器的多种植被指数(NDVI,RVI,EVI,GNDVI,GRVI和Red-edge RVI),比较植被指数模型对水稻LAI的估测精度,分析不同植被指数对LAI变化的敏感性.相对于红波段植被指数,红边比值植被指数(Red-edge RVI)和绿波段指数GRVI与LAI有更好的线性相关关系,而GNDVI和LAI呈现更好的对数相关关系.MODIS的Red-edge RVI指数不仅模型拟合的精度最高,还有独立数据验证的估测精度也最高,而且它的验证精度较拟合精度下降幅度最小;其次是绿波段构建的GNDVI和GRVI植被指数的估测精度,再次是NDVI和EVI的估测精度,而RVI的估测精度最差.敏感性分析发现,13个植被指数对水稻LAI的估测能力都随着LAI的增加而下降,但归一化类植被指数和比值类植被指数对LAI变化反应的差异明显,归一化类植被指数在LAI较低时(LAI<1.5)对LAI变化的反应开始非常敏感,但迅速下降,而比值类植被指数在LAI较低时,明显小于归一化类植被指数,之后随着LAI的增大(LAI>1.5)比值类植被指数对LAI的变化敏感性,则明显高于归一化类植被指数.Red-edge RVI和绿波段指数GRVI和LAI不仅表现了很好的线性相关关系,而且在LAI大于2.9左右保持较高的敏感性.     

Combining UAV-based plant height from crop surface models,visible, and near infrared vegetation indices for biomass monitoring in barley

In this study we combined selected vegetation indices (VIs) and plant height information to estimate biomass in a summer barley experiment. The VIs were calculated from ground-based hyperspectral data and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based red green blue (RGB) imaging. In addition, the plant height information was obtained from UAV-based multi-temporal crop surface models (CSMs). The test site is a summer barley experiment comprising 18 cultivars and two nitrogen treatments located in Western Germany. We calculated five VIs from hyperspectral data. The normalised ratio index (NRI)-based index GnyLi (Gnyp et al., 2014) showed the highest correlation (R² = 0.83) with dry biomass. In addition, we calculated three visible band VIs: the green red vegetation index (GRVI), the modified GRVI (MGRVI) and the red green blue VI (RGBVI), where the MGRVI and the RGBVI are newly developed VI. We found that the visible band VIs have potential for biomass prediction prior to heading stage. A robust estimate for biomass was obtained from the plant height models (R² = 0.80–0.82). In a cross validation test, we compared plant height, selected VIs and their combination with plant height information. Combining VIs and plant height information by using multiple linear regression or multiple non-linear regression models performed better than the VIs alone. The visible band GRVI and the newly developed RGBVI are promising but need further investigation. However, the relationship between plant height and biomass produced the most robust results. In summary, the results indicate that plant height is competitive with VIs for biomass estimation in summer barley. Moreover, visible band VIs might be a useful addition to biomass estimation. The main limitation is that the visible band VIs work for early growing stages only.     

Sentinel-2数据的冬小麦地上干生物量估算及评价

作物生物量快速精确的监测对于农业资源的合理利用与农田的精准管理具有重要意义。近年来,遥感技术因其独特的优势已被广泛用于作物生物量的估算中。本文主要针对不同宽波段植被指数在冬小麦生物量(文中的生物量均是指地上干生物量)估算方面的表现进行探索。首先利用欧洲空间局最新的Sentinel-2A卫星数据提取出17种常见的植被指数,之后分别构建其与相应时期内采集的冬小麦地上生物量间的最优估算模型,通过分析两者间的相关性与敏感性,获取适宜进行生物量估算的指数。最后,绘制了研究区的生物量空间分布图。结果表明,所选的植被指数均与生物量显著相关。其中,红边叶绿素指数(CI_(re))与生物量的估算精度最高(决定性系数R~2为0.83;均方根误差RMSE为180.29 g·m~(–2))。虽然相关性较高,但部分指数,如归一化差值植被指数(NDVI)等在生物量较高时会出现饱和现象,从而导致生物量的低估。而加入红边波段的指数不仅能够延缓指数的饱和趋势,而且能够提高反演精度。此外,通过敏感性分析发现,归一化差值指数和比值指数分别在作物生长的早期和中后期对生物量的变化保持较高的敏感性。由于红边比值指数(SR_(re))和MERIS叶绿素敏感指数(MTCI)在冬小麦全生长季内一直对生物量的变化保持高灵敏性,二者是生物量估算中最为稳定的指数。     

Angle effects of vegetation indices and the influence on prediction of SPAD values in soybean and maize

To study the anisotropy of vegetation indices (VIs) and explore its influence on the retrieval accuracy of canopy soil-plant analyzer development (SPAD) value, the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) models of soybean and maize are calculated from the multi-angle hyperspectral images acquired by UAV, respectively. According to the reflectance extracted from the BRDF model, the dependences of 16 commonly-used VIs on observation angles are analyzed, and the SPAD values of maize and soybean canopy are predicted by using the 16 VI values at different observation angles and their combinations as input parameters. The results show that the 16 VIs have different sensitivity to angle in the principal plane: green ratio vegetation index (GRVI), ratio vegetation index (RVI), red edge chlorophyll index (CIRE), and modified chlorophyll absorption in reflectance index/optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index (MCARI/OSAVI) are very sensitive to angles, among which MCARI/OSAVI of maize fluctuated the most (138.83 %); in contrast, the green optimal soil adjusted vegetation index (GOSAVI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI) hardly change with the observation angles. In terms of SPAD prediction, the accuracy of different VI is different, the mean absolute error (MAE) showed that MCARI1 provided the highest accuracy of retrieval for soybean (MAE=1.617), while for maize it was MCARI/OSAVI (MAE=2.422). However, when using the same VI, there was no significant difference in the accuracy of the predicted results, whether the VI from different angles was used or the combination of multi-angles was used. The present results provide guiding significance and practical value for the retrieval of SPAD value in vegetation canopies and in-depth applications of multi-angular remote sensing.     

Evaluating the capabilities of Sentinel-2 for quantitative estimation of biophysical variables in vegetation

The red edge position (REP) in the vegetation spectral reflectance is a surrogate measure of vegetation chlorophyll content, and hence can be used to monitor the health and function of vegetation. The Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI) aboard the future ESA Sentinel-2 (S-2) satellite will provide the opportunity for estimation of the REP at much higher spatial resolution (20 m) than has been previously possible with spaceborne sensors such as Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) aboard ENVISAT. This study aims to evaluate the potential of S-2 MSI sensor for estimation of canopy chlorophyll content, leaf area index (LAI) and leaf chlorophyll concentration (LCC) using data from multiple field campaigns. Included in the assessed field campaigns are results from SEN3Exp in Barrax, Spain composed of 35 elementary sampling units (ESUs) of LCC and LAI which have been assessed for correlation with simulated MSI data using a CASI airborne imaging spectrometer. Analysis also presents results from SicilyS2EVAL, a campaign consisting of 25 ESUs in Sicily, Italy supported by a simultaneous Specim Aisa-Eagle data acquisition. In addition, these results were compared to outputs from the PROSAIL model for similar values of biophysical variables in the ESUs. The paper in turn assessed the scope of S-2 for retrieval of biophysical variables using these combined datasets through investigating the performance of the relevant Vegetation Indices (VIs) as well as presenting the novel Inverted Red-Edge Chlorophyll Index (IRECI) and Sentinel-2 Red-Edge Position (S2REP). Results indicated significant relationships between both canopy chlorophyll content and LAI for simulated MSI data using IRECI or the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) while S2REP and the MERIS Terrestrial Chlorophyll Index (MTCI) were found to have the strongest correlation for retrieval of LCC.     

Estimation of vegetation LAI from hyperspectral reflectance data: Effects of soil type and plant architecture

The retrieval of canopy biophysical variables is known to be affected by confounding factors such as plant type and background reflectance. The effects of soil type and plant architecture on the retrieval of vegetation leaf area index (LAI) from hyperspectral data were assessed in this study. In situ measurements of LAI were related to reflectances in the red and near-infrared and also to five widely used spectral vegetation indices (VIs). The study confirmed that the spectral contrast between leaves and soil background determines the strength of the LAI–reflectance relationship. It was shown that within a given vegetation species, the optimum spectral regions for LAI estimation were similar across the investigated VIs, indicating that the various VIs are basically summarizing the same spectral information for a given vegetation species. Cross-validated results revealed that, narrow-band PVI was less influenced by soil background effects (0.15 ≤ RMSE_cv ≤ 0.56). The results suggest that, when using remote sensing VIs for LAI estimation, not only is the choice of VI of importance but also prior knowledge of plant architecture and soil background. Hence, some kind of landscape stratification is required before using hyperspectral imagery for large-scale mapping of vegetation biophysical variables.     

水稻叶片最优叶肉结构参数估算

叶片作为植物冠层的基本组成元素,其自身的光学特性直接影响着遥感所能获得的植物冠层反射光谱。从原理上讲,叶片的光学特性不仅取决于其内部生化组分含量的多少,还与其物理结构密切相关。因此对叶片内部物理结构进行估算有助于分离其对叶片光谱的影响,从而提高叶片生化信息反演的精度。在基于叶片内部辐射传输过程的PROSPECT模型中,叶片内部结构用一个假想的叶肉结构参数N来描述。PROSPECT模型模拟光谱发现,N对叶片反射率和透过率均影响显著,且影响范围涵盖400—2500nm的全部波段。本文利用水稻叶片实测光谱和生化数据尝试了3种N的估算方法,包括两种经验方法和一种模型反演方法,并对其进行比较。结果表明,由于两种经验方法都基于N和表观叶面积（SLA）之间的非线性经验公式,因此两者具有内在的数学关系。运用模型反演方法估算的N可在实测水稻光谱和模型模拟光谱间得到最小RMSE,且其在数值上小于两种经验方法的估算值。以N为因变量,叶片光谱反射率为自变量,运用逐步线性回归分析建立了N的光谱估算模型,550nm,816nm,1210nm和1722nm四个波段被选入模型,回归效果较好,为N的估算提供了一种新的经验方法。     

Remote estimation of nitrogen and chlorophyll contents in maize at leaf and canopy levels

Leaf and canopy nitrogen (N) status relates strongly to leaf and canopy chlorophyll (Chl) content. Remote sensing is a tool that has the potential to assess N content at leaf, plant, field, regional and global scales. In this study, remote sensing techniques were applied to estimate N and Chl contents of irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) fertilized at five N rates. Leaf N and Chl contents were determined using the red-edge chlorophyll index with R² of 0.74 and 0.94, respectively. Results showed that at the canopy level, Chl and N contents can be accurately retrieved using green and red-edge Chl indices using near infrared (780–800 nm) and either green (540–560 nm) or red-edge (730–750 nm) spectral bands. Spectral bands that were found optimal for Chl and N estimations coincide well with the red-edge band of the MSI sensor onboard the near future Sentinel-2 satellite. The coefficient of determination for the relationships between the red-edge chlorophyll index, simulated in Sentinel-2 bands, and Chl and N content was 0.90 and 0.87, respectively.     

Leaf to canopy upscaling approach affects the estimation of canopy traits

In remote sensing applications, leaf traits are often upscaled to canopy level using sunlit leaf samples collected from the upper canopy. The implicit assumption is that the top of canopy foliage material dominates canopy reflectance and the variability in leaf traits across the canopy is very small. However, the effect of different approaches of upscaling leaf traits to canopy level on model performance and estimation accuracy remains poorly understood. This is especially important in short or sparse canopies where foliage material from the lower canopy potentially contributes to the canopy reflectance. The principal aim of this study is to examine the effect of different approaches when upscaling leaf traits to canopy level on model performance and estimation accuracy using spectral measurements (in-situ canopy hyperspectral and simulated Sentinel-2 data) in short woody vegetation. To achieve this, we measured foliar nitrogen (N), leaf mass per area (LMA), foliar chlorophyll and carbon together with leaf area index (LAI) at three vertical canopy layers (lower, middle and upper) along the plant stem in a controlled laboratory environment. We then upscaled the leaf traits to canopy level by multiplying leaf traits by LAI based on different combinations of the three canopy layers. Concurrently, in-situ canopy reflectance was measured using an ASD FieldSpec-3 Pro FR spectrometer, and the canopy traits were related to in-situ spectral measurements using partial least square regression (PLSR). The PLSR models were cross-validated based on repeated k-fold, and the normalized root mean square errors (nRMSE_cv) obtained from each upscaling approach were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. Results of the study showed that leaf-to-canopy upscaling approaches that consider the contribution of leaf traits from the exposed upper canopy layer together with the shaded middle canopy layer yield significantly (p < 0.05) lower error (nRMSE_cv < 0.2 for canopy N, LMA and carbon) as well as high explained variance (R² > 0.71) for both in-situ hyperspectral and simulated Sentinel-2 data. The widely-used upscaling approach that considers only leaf traits from the upper illuminated canopy layer yielded a relatively high error (nRMSE_cv>0.2) and lower explained variance (R² < 0.71) for canopy N, LMA and carbon. In contrast, canopy chlorophyll upscaled based on leaf samples collected from the upper canopy and total canopy LAI exhibited a more accurate relationship with spectral measurements compared with other upscaling approaches. Results of this study demonstrate that leaf to canopy upscaling approaches have a profound effect on canopy traits estimation for both in-situ hyperspectral measurements and simulated Sentinel-2 data in short woody vegetation. These findings have implications for field sampling protocols of leaf traits measurement as well as upscaling leaf traits to canopy level especially in short and less foliated vegetation where leaves from the lower canopy contribute to the canopy reflectance.     

Sentinel-2A与Landsat 8O LI逐像元辐射归一化方法研究

考虑不同传感器光谱响应函数差异及不同地物类型反射率光谱的差异，提出了一种逐像元辐射归一化方法，并以2017年7月17日内蒙古达里诺尔湖地区准同步过境的Sentinel-2A及Landsat 8数据为例，对两类数据可见-近红外波段（VNIR）地表反射率结果进行归一化。首先采用Sen2cor方法及NASA官方提供大气校正算法，分别对Sentinel-2A及Landsat 8 OLI影像进行大气校正并重采样到同一空间分辨率；然后基于光谱库计算匹配因子并构建图像与光谱库之间的匹配转换模型，实现像元尺度上从Sentinel-2影像到Landsat 8影像地表反射率相似波段之间的转换。结果表明，经逐像元归一化的影像相比原始影像及经HLS光谱归一化的影像，与Landsat 8 VNIR波段的相关性明显提高，辐射一致性增强。该转换模型为多源中高分辨率遥感图像高精度辐射归一化提供了新思路。     

Consistency of vegetation index seasonality across the Amazon rainforest

Vegetation indices (VIs) calculated from remotely sensed reflectance are widely used tools for characterizing the extent and status of vegetated areas. Recently, however, their capability to monitor the Amazon forest phenology has been intensely scrutinized. In this study, we analyze the consistency of VIs seasonal patterns obtained from two MODIS products: the Collection 5 BRDF product (MCD43) and the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction algorithm (MAIAC). The spatio-temporal patterns of the VIs were also compared with field measured leaf litterfall, gross ecosystem productivity and active microwave data. Our results show that significant seasonal patterns are observed in all VIs after the removal of view-illumination effects and cloud contamination. However, we demonstrate inconsistencies in the characteristics of seasonal patterns between different VIs and MODIS products. We demonstrate that differences in the original reflectance band values form a major source of discrepancy between MODIS VI products. The MAIAC atmospheric correction algorithm significantly reduces noise signals in the red and blue bands. Another important source of discrepancy is caused by differences in the availability of clear-sky data, as the MAIAC product allows increased availability of valid pixels in the equatorial Amazon. Finally, differences in VIs seasonal patterns were also caused by MODIS collection 5 calibration degradation. The correlation of remote sensing and field data also varied spatially, leading to different temporal offsets between VIs, active microwave and field measured data. We conclude that recent improvements in the MAIAC product have led to changes in the characteristics of spatio-temporal patterns of VIs seasonality across the Amazon forest, when compared to the MCD43 product. Nevertheless, despite improved quality and reduced uncertainties in the MAIAC product, a robust biophysical interpretation of VIs seasonality is still missing.     

Comprehensive study of the biophysical parameters of agricultural crops based on assessing Landsat 8 OLI and Landsat 7 ETM+ vegetation indices

For three agricultural crop types, winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and canola (Brassica napus L.), we estimated biophysical parameters including fresh and dry biomass, leaf area index (LAI), and vegetation water content, for which we found the equivalent water thickness (EWT), fuel moisture content per fresh weight (FMC_FW), and fuel moisture content per dry weight (FMC_DW). We performed these estimations using data from the newly launched Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) sensor, as well as its predecessor the Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+). Progress in the design of the new sensor (i.e., Landsat 8), including narrower near-infrared (NIR) wavebands, higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and greater radiometric resolution highlights the necessity to investigate the biophysical parameters of agricultural crops, especially compared to data from its predecessor. This study aims to evaluate vegetation indices (VIs) derived from the Landsat 8 OLI and the Landsat 7 ETM+. Both the Landsat 8 OLI and Landsat 7 ETM+ VIs agreed well with in-situ data measurements. However, the Landsat 8 OLI-derived VIs were generally more consistent with in situ data than the Landsat 7 ETM+ VIs. We also note that the Landsat 8 OLI is better able to capture the small variability of the VIs because of its higher SNR and wider radiometric range; in addition, the saturation phenomenon occurred earlier for the Landsat 7 ETM+ than for the Landsat 8 OLI. This indicates that the new sensor is better able to estimate the biophysical parameters of crops.     

Evaluating and comparing Sentinel 2A and Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) spectral indices for estimating fire severity in a Mediterranean pine ecosystem of Greece

The main purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between three field-based fire severity indices (Composite Burn Index-CBI, Geometrically structure CBI, weighted CBI) and spectral indices derived from Sentinel 2A and Landsat-8 OLI imagery on a recent large fire in Thasos, Greece. We employed remotely sensed indices previously used from the remote sensing fire community (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR), differenced NDVI, differenced NBR, relative differenced NBR, Relativized Burn Ratio) and seven Sentinel 2A-specific indices considering the availability of spectral information recorded in the red-edge spectral region. The statistical correlation indicated a slightly stronger relationship between the differenced NBR and the GeoCBI for both Sentinel 2A (r = 0.872) and Landsat-8 OLI (r = 0.845) imagery. Predictive local thresholds of dNBR values showed slightly higher classification accuracy for Sentinel 2A (73.33%) than Landsat-8 OLI (71.11%), suggesting the adequacy of Sentinel 2A for forest fire severity assessment and mapping in Mediterranean pine ecosystems. The evaluation of the classification thresholds calculated in this study over other fires with similar pre-fire conditions could contribute in the operational mapping and reconstruction of the historical patterns of fire severity over the Eastern Mediterranean region.     

A hyperspectral experiment over tropical forests based on the EO-1 orbit change and PROSAIL simulation

ABSTRACT

We designed a unique hyperspectral experiment from the Earth Observing One (EO-1) orbit change to evaluate solar illumination effects over tropical forests in Brazil. Ten nadir-viewing Hyperion images collected over a fixed site and period of the year (July to August) were selected for analysis. We evaluated variations in reflectance and in 16 narrowband vegetation indices (VIs) with increasing solar zenith angle (SZA) from the pre-drift (2004–2008) to the EO-1 drift period (2011–2016). To detect changes in reflectance and shadows, we applied spectral mixture analysis (SMA) and principal component analysis (PCA) and calculated the similarity spectral angle (θ) between the vegetation spectra measured with variable SZA. The magnitude of the illumination effects was also evaluated from change-point analysis and nonparametric Mann-Whitney U tests applied over the time series. Finally, we complemented our experiment using the PROSAIL model to simulate the VIs variation with increasing SZA resultant from satellite drift. The results showed significant changes in Hyperion reflectance and VIs, especially when the EO-1 crossed the study area at earlier times and larger SZA in 2015 (9:05 a.m.; SZA = 59°) and 2016 (8:30 a.m.; SZA = 67°). Compared to the pre-drift period (10:30 a.m.; SZA = 45°), the SZA differences of 14° (2015) and 22° (2016) increased the shade fractions and decreased the vegetation brightness. PCA separated the pre-drift and drift reflectance datasets, showing shifts in scores due to changes in brightness. θ increased with SZA, indicating changes in the shape of the vegetation spectra with drift. For most VIs, the change-point analysis indicated 2015 (SZA = 59°) as the predominant year of detected changes. Compared to the EO-1 original orbit, the Plant Senescence Reflectance Index (PSRI), Anthocyanin Reflectance Index (ARI) and Structure Insensitive Pigment Index (SIPI) presented the largest positive changes during drift, while the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI), Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index (VARI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) had the largest negative changes. The effect size of the illumination geometry on these VIs was large, as indicated by increasing values of the Cohen’s r metric toward 2016. The anisotropy of the Hyperion VIs was generally consistent with that from PROSAIL in the simulated pre-drift and drift periods. Focusing on structural indices, it affected the relationships between VIs and simulated leaf area index (LAI) at large SZA.     

Estimating the Leaf Area Index,height and biomass of maize using HJ-1 and RADARSAT-2

New optical and microwave integrated vegetation indices (VIs) were designed based on observations from both field experiments and satellite (HJ-1 and RADARSAT-2) data. It was found that these VIs perform better in estimating the structure parameters of maize, such as Leaf Area Index (LAI), height and biomass, than the original ones. This investigation focused on the difference of interaction between the multispectral reflectance and microwave backscattering signatures with the maize growth variables. Because the maize was near the heading stage with large vegetation coverage in the experiment, the reflectance of the near-infrared band of HJ-1 was much less sensitive to the structure variables than that of the visible-light band. Thus, the optical VIs formulated using those bands were saturated to estimate the structure parameters. With respect to the RADARSAT-2 data, there was a relatively strong relationship between the HV cross-polarization and the volume scattering of the maize, which was mostly determined by the crown structure. The modified VIs were designed using both the VIs of HJ-1 and the HV cross-polarization of RADARSAT-2 to overcome the saturation limitation. The validation showed that this integrated method of determining VIs is a good alternative to that using only the optical or microwave observation.     

Comparing the spectral settings of the new generation broad and narrow band sensors in estimating biomass of native grasses grown under different management practices

The challenge of assessing and monitoring the influence of rangeland management practices on grassland productivity has been hampered in southern Africa, due to the lack of cheap earth observation facilities. This study, therefore, sought to evaluate the capability of the newly launched Sentinel 2 multispectral imager (MSI) data, in relation to Hyperspectral infrared imager (HyspIRI) data in estimating grass biomass subjected to different management practices, namely, burning, mowing and fertilizer application. Using sparse partial least squares regression (SPLSR), results showed that HyspIRI data exhibited slightly higher grass biomass estimation accuracies (RMSE = 6.65 g/m², R² = 0.69) than Sentinel 2 MSI (RMSE = 6.79 g/m², R² = 0.58) across all rangeland management practices. Student t-test results then showed that Sentinel 2 MSI exhibited a comparable performance to HyspIRI in estimating the biomass of grasslands under burning, mowing and fertilizer application. In comparing the RMSEs derived using wave bands and vegetation indices of HyspIRI and Sentinel, no statistically significant differences were exhibited (α = 0.05). Sentinel (Bands 5, 6 and 7) and HyspIRI (Bands 730 nm, 740 nm, 750 nm, 710 nm), as well as their derived vegetation indices, yielded the highest predictive accuracies. These findings illustrate that the accuracy of Sentinel 2 MSI data in estimating grass biomass is acceptable when compared with HyspIRI. The findings of this work provide an insight into the prospects of large-scale grass biomass modeling and prediction, using cheap and readily available multispectral data.     

Quantitative Inversion of Vegetation Biochemical Components Based on HJ1-A HSI in Coal Mining Area

This study investigates the applicability of estimating chlorophyll and water content at canopy level through empirical models and band combinations. The main goal is to evaluate and compare the accuracy of these two approaches for estimating and mapping canopy chlorophyll and water content through canopy reflectance and spaceborne HJ1-A HSI data acquired over Yanzhou coal mining area. An experiment was carried out. Canopy spectral measurements were acquired in the field using an ASD spectroradiometer along with simultaneous in situ measurements of leaf chlorophyll content. We tested seven variables derived from canopy reflectance for detecting canopy chlorophyll and water content: (1) R, (2) Log(1/R), (3) Log(1/R)′, (4) FDR, (5) SDR, (6) CRR, (7) BD. Stepwise multiple linear regressions were used to select wavelengths from HJ1-A HSI image bands. Correlation analysis was also done between different band combinations and biochemistry. A statistically significant relationship between Log(1/R) and chlorophyll was found at canopy level (R² = 0.516). SDR had the highest correlation with canopy water content (R² = 0.490). In addition, relationship between normalized different band combinations and chlorophyll and water content is also significantly obvious (R² = 0.577 and R² = 0.615). Canopy chlorophyll content was estimated with the intermediate accuracy (R² = 0.4144), while water content was estimated with an acceptable accuracy (R² = 0.4592). Canopy chlorophyll and water content spatial distribution were mapped. Chlorophyll and water stress levels were quantified by comparing different environmental stressors.     

基于遥感的区域尺度森林地上生物量估算研究

森林是陆地生态系统最大的碳库,精确估算森林生物量是陆地碳循环研究的关键。首先从机载LiDAR数据中提取高度和密度统计量,采用逐步回归模型进行典型样区生物量估算;然后利用机载LiDAR数据估算的生物量作为样本数据,与多光谱遥感数据Landsat8 OLI的波段反射率及植被指数建立回归模型,实现区域尺度森林地上生物量估算。实验结果显示,机载LiDAR数据估算的鼎湖山样区生物量与地面实测生物量的相关性R2达0.81,生物量RMSE为40.85 t/ha,说明机载LiDAR点云数据的高度和密度统计量与生物量存在较高的相关性。以机载LiDAR数据估算的生物量为样本数据,结合多光谱遥感数据Landsat8 OLI估算粤西北地区的森林地上生物量,精度验证结果为:R2为0.58,RMSE为36.9 t/ha;针叶林、阔叶林和针阔叶混交林等3种不同森林类型生物量的估算结果为:R2分别为0.51(n=251)、0.58(n=235)和0.56(n=241),生物量RMSE分别为24.1 t/ha、31.3 t/ha和29.9 t/ha,估算精度相差不大。总体上看,利用遥感数据可以开展区域尺度的森林地上生物量估算,为森林固碳监测提供有力的参考数据。     

Evaluating metrics derived from Landsat 8 OLI imagery to map crop cover

Developing techniques are required to generate agricultural land cover maps to monitor agricultural fields. Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) offers reflectance data over the visible to shortwave-infrared range. OLI offers several advantages, such as adequate spatial and spectral resolution, and 16 day repeat coverage, furthermore, spectral indices derived from Landsat 8 OLI possess great potential for evaluating the status of vegetation. Additionally, classification algorithms are essential for generating accurate maps. Recently, multi-Grained Cascade Forest, which is also called deep forest, was proposed, and it was shown to give highly competitive performance for classification. However, the ability of this algorithm to generate crop maps with satellite data had not yet been evaluated. In this study, the reflectance at 7 bands and 57 spectral indices calculated from Landsat 8 OLI data were evaluated for its potential for crop type identification.     

Limitations of high resolution satellite stereo imagery for estimating canopy height in Australian tropical savannas

Obtaining reliable measures of tree canopy height across large areas is a central element of forest inventory and carbon accounting. Recent years have seen an increased emphasis on the use of active sensors like Radar and airborne LiDAR (light detection and scanning) systems to estimate various 3D characteristics of canopy and crown structure that can be used as predictors of biomass. However, airborne LiDAR data are expensive to acquire, and not often readily available across large remote landscapes. In this study, we evaluated the potential of stereo imagery from commercially available Very High Resolution (VHR) satellites as an alternative for estimating canopy height variables in Australian tropical savannas, using a semi-global dense matching (SGM) image-based technique. We assessed and compared the completeness and vertical accuracy of extracted canopy height models (CHMs) from GeoEye 1 and WorldView 1 VHR satellite stereo pairs and summarised the factors influencing image matching effectiveness and quality.Our results showed that stereo dense matching using the SGM technique severely underestimates tree presence and canopy height. The highest tree detection rates were achieved by using the near-infrared (NIR) band of GE1 (8–9%). WV1-GE1 cross-satellite (mixed) models did not improve the quality of extracted canopy heights. We consider these poor detection rates and height retrievals to result from: i) the clumping crown structure of the dominant Eucalyptus spp.; ii) their vertically oriented leaves (affecting the bidirectional reflectance distribution function); iii) image band radiometry and iv) wind induced crown movement affecting stereo-pair point matching. Our detailed analyses suggest that current commercially available VHR satellite data (0.5 m resolution) are not well suited to estimating canopy height variables, and therefore above ground biomass (AGB), in Eucalyptus dominated north Australian tropical savanna woodlands.