黑河流域遥感物候产品验证与分析

植被物候遥感产品对全球变化响应、农业生产管理、生态学的应用等多领域研究具有重要意义。但现有植被物候遥感产品还有较多问题,主要包括一方面使用不同参数的时间序列数据以及不同提取算法导致的产品结果差异较大,另一方面在地面验证中地面观测数据与遥感反演数据的物理含义不一致导致的验证方法的系统性误差。本文以黑河流域为研究区,对比验证基于EVI(Enhanced Vegetation Index)时间序列数据提取的MLCD(MODIS global land cover dynamics product)植被遥感物候产品和基于LAI(Leaf Area Index)时间序列数据提取的UMPM(product by universal multi-life-cycle phenology monitoring method)植被遥感物候产品的有效性及精度等。同时,通过验证分析进一步评估基于EVI和LAI时间序列提取的物候特征的差异及特点,探讨由于地面观测植被物候与遥感提取植被物候的物理意义的不一致问题导致的直接验证结果偏差。结果表明:UMPM产品有效性整体高于MLCD产品,但在以草地和灌木为主的稀疏植被区,由于LAI取值精度的原因,UMPM产品存在较多缺失数据,且时空稳定性较低;基于玉米地面观测数据表明,EVI对植被开始生长的信号比LAI更加敏感,更适合提取生长起点,但植被指数易饱和,峰值起点普遍提前,基于LAI提取的峰值起点更加合理。由于地面观测的物候期在后期更加关注果实生长,遥感观测仅关注叶片的生长,遥感定义的峰值终点和生长终点与玉米的乳熟期和成熟期差异较大。     

MODIS增强型植被指数EVI与NDVI初步比较

利用东亚地区典型地带性植被和MODIS数据，对广泛使用的植被指数NDVI和新开发的增强型植被指数EVI进行了对比分析。由MODIS开发的NDVI和EVI对干旱-半湿润环境下低覆盖植被的描述能力相似，但对湿润环境下高密度植被的描述有明显差别：NDVI年时间过程的季节性不明显，表现为全年高平的曲线；而EVI仍然有季节性，表现为钟形曲线，与月平均温度关系更密切。EVI的这一特征为研究高覆盖植被的季节性变化提供了新的思路。     

Investigation of terrain illumination effects on vegetation indices and VI-derived phenological metrics in subtropical deciduous forests

We used RapidEye and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)/Terra data to study terrain illumination effects on 3 vegetation indices (VIs) and 11 phenological metrics over seasonal deciduous forests in southern Brazil. We applied TIMESAT for the analysis of the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from the MOD13Q1 product to calculate phenological metrics. We related the VIs with the cosine of the incidence angle i (Cos i) and inspected percentage changes in VIs before and after topographic C-correction. The results showed that the EVI was more sensitive to seasonal changes in canopy biophysical attributes than the NDVI and Red-Edge NDVI, as indicated by analysis of non-topographically corrected RapidEye images from the summer and winter. On the other hand, the EVI was more sensitive to terrain illumination, presenting higher correlation coefficients with Cos i that decreased with reduction in the canopy background L factor. After C-correction, the RapidEye Red-Edge NDVI, NDVI, and EVI decreased 2%, 1%, and 13% over sunlit surfaces and increased up to 5%, 14%, and 89% over shaded surfaces, respectively. The EVI-related phenological metrics were also much more affected by topographic effects than the NDVI-derived metrics. From the set of 11 metrics, the 2 that described the period of lower photosynthetic activity and seasonal VI amplitude presented the largest correlation coefficients with Cos i. The results showed that terrain illumination is a factor of spectral variability in the seasonal analysis of phenological metrics, especially for VIs that are not spectrally normalized.     

Assessment of Potato Phenological Characteristics Using MODIS-Derived NDVI and LAI Information

Remote sensing techniques are capable of identifying a particular crop as well as monitoring its growing stages, crop vigor, and biomass. Due to the increasing demand for food staples, potato cultivation in Bangladesh has increased substantially over the last decade. A study was carried out in the Munshiganj area, the main potato-producing district in Bangladesh, to assess the growth of potatoes by modeling its important life metrics. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Leaf Area Index (LAI) products were extracted from MODIS Surface Reflectance Eight-Day L3 Global 500 m data from November 25, 2005 to March 6, 2006. NDVI and LAI were extracted for 50 selected fields in the study area and used to construct potato phenological curves. Twenty-two life metrics were derived for potato from the phenological curves. The first 12 metrics are the basic life metrics of potato and the others are supplementary. Results showed a significant amplitude and distinct response period of these vegetation indices. Based on the phenological curves, the spatial distribution of potato growth was estimated for the study area for both NDVI and LAI. The effect of temperature on crop phenology was examined during the potato growing season. It was found that significant growth occurred when the temperature was relatively low. This study demonstrates that remote sensing data can be effectively used to study potato growth in Bangladesh.     

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.     

锡林浩特草原区域MODIS LAI产品真实性检验与误差分析

本文研究了LAI产品真实性检验的指标和方法,建立了LAI产品真实性检验的流程,将遥感产品真实性检验误差分解为模型误差、数据定量化差异和尺度效应3个方面。以内蒙古锡林浩特草原为研究区,结合实测数据和Landsat TM数据建立NDVI-LAI模型,得到LAI验证参考"真值",据此"真值"按照本文的流程对MODIS LAI产品进行验证,分析了研究区MODIS LAI产品真实性检验的误差来源。研究表明,该研究区的MODIS LAI(MOD15A2)产品相对高估约25%。各个误差因素中,LAI遥感模型差异对于结果影响最大,MODIS LAI模型高估了该区域草地LAI(高估约44.2%);数据定量差异的影响也比较大,MODIS地表反射率数据与Landsat TM地表反射率数据的差异造成了约16.2%的低估;尺度效应的影响较小,造成约3.1%的低估,其中NDVI-LAI模型的尺度效应带来2.4%的低估,NDVI数据的尺度效应造成约0.7%的低估。     

黑河流域叶面积指数的遥感估算

研究利用Landsat7ETM⁺遥感数据获取黑河流域植被叶面积指数(LAI)空间分布的可行性。该研究是基于黑河流域分布式水文模型的一个重要输入项———LAI空间分布数据的需要而产生的。文章在详尽的野外观测数据基础上,分别探究实测LAI与同时相ETM⁺3、4、5、7波段反射率及相关植被指数(SR、NDVI、ARVI、RSR、SAV I、PVI、GESAVI)的相关关系,率定最佳的LAI遥感反演及其空间分布方案。研究发现,针对特定的自然条件,将研究区分为植被覆盖度小的稀疏立地和覆盖度大的密集立地,分别采用土壤调节植被指数(SAVI)和大气阻抗植被指数(ARVI)进行2种林地的LAI估算最为可靠,在此基础上,提出黑河地区LAI估算及其空间分布的遥感制图方案。     

生物量估测模型中遥感信息与植被光合参数的关系研究

本文通过对建立估测植被生物量遥感模型中所涉及的遥感信息参数与植被光合参数的关系分析,从理论和实验中阐明了反映植物长势的量发化植被指数和反映植物光合面积的叶面积指数,光合有效辐射及吸收光合有效辐射的相互关系,对在实际中建立更为机理的生物量遥感模型提供可供进一步参考的依据。     

Characterizing spring phenology of temperate broadleaf forests using Landsat and Sentinel-2 time series

Vegetation phenology has a great impact on land-atmosphere interactions like carbon cycling, albedo, and water and energy exchanges. To understand and predict these critical land-atmosphere feedbacks, it is crucial to measure and quantify phenological responses to climate variability, and ultimately climate change. Coarse-resolution sensors such as MODIS and AVHRR have been useful to study vegetation phenology from regional to global scales. These sensors are, however, not capable of discerning phenological variation at moderate spatial scales. By offering increased observation density and higher spatial resolution, the combination of Landsat and Sentinel-2 time series might provide the opportunity to overcome this limitation.In this study, we analyzed the potential of combined Sentinel-2 and Landsat time series for estimating start of season (SOS) of broadleaf forests across Germany for the year 2018. We tested two common statistical modeling approaches (logistic and generalized additive models using thin plate splines) and the two most commonly used vegetation indices, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI).We found strong agreement between SOS estimates from logistic and spline models (r_EVI = 0.86; r_NDVI = 0.65), whereas agreement was higher for EVI than for NDVI (RMSD_EVI = 3.07, RMSD_NDVI = 5.26 days). The choice of vegetation index thus had a higher impact on the results than the fitting method. The EVI-based SOS also showed higher correlation with ground observations compared to NDVI (r_EVI = 0.51, r_NDVI = 0.42). Data density played an important role in estimating land surface phenology. Models combining Sentinel-2A/B, with an average cloud-free observation frequency of 12 days, were largely consistent with the combined Landsat and Sentinel-2 models, suggesting that Sentinel-2A/B may be sufficient to capture SOS for most areas in Germany in 2018. However, in non-overlapping swath areas and mountain areas, observation frequency was significantly lower, underlining the need to combine Landsat and Sentinel-2 for consistent SOS estimates over large areas. Our study demonstrates that estimating SOS of temperate broadleaf forests at medium spatial resolution has become feasible with combined Landsat and Sentinel-2 time series.     

Scrutinising MODIS and GIMMS Vegetation Indices for Extracting Growth Rhythm of Natural Vegetation in India

Satellite derived vegetation vigour has been successfully used for various environmental modeling since 1972. However, extraction of reliable annual growth information about natural vegetation (i.e., phenology) has been of recent interest due to their important role in many global models and free availability of time-series satellite data. In this study, usability of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) and Global Inventory Modelling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) based products in extracting phenology information about evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous vegetation in India was explored. The MODIS NDVI and EVI time-series data (MOD13C1: 5.6 km spatial resolution with 16 day temporal resolution—2001 to 2010) and GIMMS NDVI time-series data(8 km spatial resolution with 15 day temporal resolution—2000 to 2006) were used. These three differently derived vegetation indices were analysed to extract and understand the vegetative growth rhythm over different regions of India. Algorithm was developed to derive onset of greenness and end of senescence automatically. The comparative analysis about differences in the results from these products was carried out. Due to dominant noise in the values of NDVI from GIMMS and MODIS during monsoon period the phenology rhythm were wrongly depicted, especially for evergreen and semi-evergreen vegetation in India. Hence, care is needed before using these data sets for understanding vegetative dynamics, biomass cestimation and carbon studies. MODIS EVI based results were truthful and comparable to ground reality. The study reveals spatio-temporal patterns of phenology, rate of greening, rate of senescence, and differences in results from these three products.     

Fuzzy Based Approach for Moist Deciduous Forest Identification Using MODIS Temporal Data

Fuzzy based soft classification have been used immensely for handling the mixed pixel and hence to extract the single class of interest. The present research attempts to extract the moist deciduous forest from MODIS temporal data using the Possibilistic c-Means (PCM) soft classification approach. Temporal MODIS (7 dates) data were used to identify moist deciduous forest and temporal AWiFS (7 dates) data were used as reference data for testing. The Simple Ratio (SR), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and Transformed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (TNDVI) were used to generate the temporal vegetation indices for both the MODIS and the AWiFS datasets. It was observed from the research that the MODIS temporal NDVI data set1, which contain the minimum number of images and avoids the temporal images corresponding to the highest frequency stages of onset of greenness (OG) and end of senescence (ES) activity of moist deciduous forest have been found most suitable data set for identification of moist deciduous forest with the maximum fuzzy overall accuracy of 96.731 %.     

Evaluation of SPOT imagery for the estimation of grassland biomass

In many regions, a decrease in grasslands and change in their management, which are associated with agricultural intensification, have been observed in the last half-century. Such changes in agricultural practices have caused negative environmental effects that include water pollution, soil degradation and biodiversity loss. Moreover, climate-driven changes in grassland productivity could have serious consequences for the profitability of agriculture. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of remotely sensed data with high spatial resolution to estimate grassland biomass in agricultural areas. A vegetation index, namely the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and two biophysical variables, the Leaf Area Index (LAI) and the fraction of Vegetation Cover (fCOVER) were computed using five SPOT images acquired during the growing season. In parallel, ground-based information on grassland growth was collected to calculate biomass values. The analysis of the relationship between the variables derived from the remotely sensed data and the biomass observed in the field shows that LAI outperforms NDVI and fCOVER to estimate biomass (R² values of 0.68 against 0.30 and 0.50, respectively). The squared Pearson correlation coefficient between observed and estimated biomass using LAI derived from SPOT images reached 0.73. Biomass maps generated from remotely sensed data were then used to estimate grass reserves at the farm scale in the perspective of operational monitoring and forecasting.     

Local variability in the timing and intensity of tropical dry forest deciduousness is explained by differences in forest stand age

Tropical Dry Forest deciduousness is a behavioral response to climate conditions that determines ecosystem-level carbon uptake, energy flux, and habitat conditions. It is regulated by factors related to stand age, and landscape scale variability in deciduous phenology may affect ecosystem functioning in forests throughout the tropics. This study determines whether observed phenological differences are explainable by forest age in the southern Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, where forest clearing for shifting cultivation has created a mosaic of forest stands of varying age. Matched-pair statistical tests compare neighboring forest pixels of different age class (12–22 years versus 22+ years) and detect significant differences in Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)-derived metrics related to the timing and intensity of deciduousness during three dry seasons (2008–2011). In all seasons, young forests exhibit significantly more intense deciduousness, measured as total seasonal change of EVI normalized by annual maximum EVI (p < 0.001), and larger normalized EVI change during successive dry season months relative to start-of-dry-season EVI (p < 0.001), than neighboring older forests subject to similar environmental conditions.     

多时相MODIS影像水田信息提取研究

水稻种植及其分布信息是土地覆被变化、作物估产、甲烷排放、粮食安全和水资源管理分析的重要数据源。基于遥感的水田利用监测中,通常采用时序NDVI植被指数法和影像分类法分别进行AVHRR和TM影像的水田信息获取。针对8天合成MODIS陆地表面反射比数据的特点和水稻生长特征,选取水稻种植前的休耕期、秧苗移植期、秧苗生长期和成熟期等多时相MODIS地表反射率影像数据,通过归一化植被指数、增强植被指数及利用对土壤湿度和植被水分含量较敏感的短波红外波段计算得到的陆表水指数进行水田信息获取。将提取结果与基于ETM＋影像的国土资源调查水田数据,通过网格化计算处理并进行对比分析,结果表明,利用MODIS影像的8天合成地表反射率数据,进行区域甚至全国的水田利用监测是可行的。     

尺度效应的叶面积指数产品真实性检验方法

真实性检验是评价遥感反演产品质量和验证遥感应用产品是否准确、真实地反映实际情况的重要途径。叶面积指数(LAI)是表征陆地植被结构和长势的关键参数,全面准确评价和验证LAI产品是产品用于陆面过程模型的前提。本文以MODIS LAI与GLASS LAI产品为研究对象,在尺度效应和尺度转换的基础上,建立了针对非均匀像元的低分辨率LAI产品真实性检验方法。在考虑空间异质性和植被长势差异的情况下,借助中分辨率的遥感影像,分别利用1 km像元平均叶面积指数和反演表观叶面积指数实现了对LAI算法和产品的真实性检验。为了比较作物长势差异和地表非均匀度对产品的影响,本文选择有代表性的河南鹤壁和甘肃张掖两个地区进行两种LAI产品真实性检验研究。研究结果表明,GLASS LAI和MODIS LAI产品均存在明显的低估现象。这并不是产品算法的问题,而是由于地表异质性和非均匀度的影响。在异质性更显著的张掖盈科灌区,低估现象更明显。GLASS LAI产品是多种LAI产品的融合,它的平均LAI比MODIS更接近真实情况,但是LAI的动态范围比MODIS窄。     

Directional effects on NDVI and LAI retrievals from MODIS: A case study in Brazil with soybean

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is largely used to estimate Leaf Area Index (LAI) using radiative transfer modeling (the “main” algorithm). When this algorithm fails for a pixel, which frequently occurs over Brazilian soybean areas, an empirical model (the “backup” algorithm) based on the relationship between the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and LAI is utilized. The objective of this study is to evaluate directional effects on NDVI and subsequent LAI estimates using global (biome 3) and local empirical models, as a function of the soybean development in two growing seasons (2004–2005 and 2005–2006). The local model was derived from the pixels that had LAI values retrieved from the main algorithm. In order to keep the reproductive stage for a given cultivar as a constant factor while varying the viewing geometry, pairs of MODIS images acquired in close dates from opposite directions (backscattering and forward scattering) were selected. Linear regression relationships between the NDVI values calculated from these two directions were evaluated for different view angles (0–25°; 25–45°; 45–60°) and development stages (<45; 45–90; >90 days after planting). Impacts on LAI retrievals were analyzed. Results showed higher reflectance values in backscattering direction due to the predominance of sunlit soybean canopy components towards the sensor and higher NDVI values in forward scattering direction due to stronger shadow effects in the red waveband. NDVI differences between the two directions were statistically significant for view angles larger than 25°. The main algorithm for LAI estimation failed in the two growing seasons with gradual crop development. As a result, up to 94% of the pixels had LAI values calculated from the backup algorithm at the peak of canopy closure. Most of the pixels selected to compose the 8-day MODIS LAI product came from the forward scattering view because it displayed larger LAI values than the backscattering. Directional effects on the subsequent LAI retrievals were stronger at the peak of the soybean development (NDVI values between 0.70 and 0.85). When the global empirical model was used, LAI differences up to 3.2 for consecutive days and opposite viewing directions were observed. Such differences were reduced to values up to 1.5 with the local model. Because of the predominance of LAI retrievals from the MODIS backup algorithm during the Brazilian soybean development, care is necessary if one considers using these data in agronomic growing/yield models.     

Measurement and Scaling of Carbon Dioxide (CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>) Exchanges in Wheat Using Flux-Tower and Remote Sensing

The present study investigates the characteristics of CO₂ exchange (photosynthesis and respiration) over agricultural site dominated by wheat crop and their relationship with ecosystem parameters derived from MODIS. Eddy covariance measurement of CO₂ and H₂O exchanges was carried out at 10 Hz interval and fluxes of CO₂ were computed at half-hourly time steps. The net ecosystem exchange (NEE) was partitioned into gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (R _e) by taking difference between day-time NEE and respiration. Time-series of daily reflectance and surface temperature products at varying resolution (250–1000 m) were used to derive ecosystem variables (EVI, NDVI, LST). Diurnal pattern in Net ecosystem exchange reveals negative NEE during day-time representing CO₂ uptake and positive during night as release of CO₂. The amplitude of the diurnal variation in NEE increased as LAI crop growth advances and reached its peak around the anthesis stage. The mid-day uptake during this stage was around 1.15 mg CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ and night-time release was around 0.15 mg CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹. Linear and non-linear least square regression procedures were employed to develop phenomenological models and empirical fits between flux tower based GPP and NEE with satellite derived variables and environmental parameters. Enhanced vegetation index was found significantly related to both GPP and NEE. However, NDVI showed little less significant relationship with both GPP and NEE. Furthemore, temperature-greenness (TG) model combining scaled EVI and LST was parameterized to estimate daily GPP over dominantly wheat crop site. (R ² = 0.77). Multi-variate analysis shows that inclusion of LST or air temperature with EVI marginally improves variance explained in daily NEE and GPP.     

Spectral anisotropy of subtropical deciduous forest using MISR and MODIS data acquired under large seasonal variation in solar zenith angle

Recent studies in Amazonian tropical evergreen forests using the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) have highlighted the importance of considering the view-illumination geometry in satellite data analysis. However, contrary to the observed for evergreen forests, bidirectional effects have not been evaluated in Brazilian subtropical deciduous forests. In this study, we used MISR data to characterize the reflectance and vegetation index anisotropies in subtropical deciduous forest from south Brazil under large seasonal solar zenith angle (SZA) variation and decreasing leaf area index (LAI) from the summer to winter. MODIS data were used to observe seasonal changes in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI). Topographic effects on their determination were inspected by dividing data from the summer to winter and projecting results over a digital elevation model (DEM). By using the PROSAIL, we investigated the relative contribution of LAI and SZA to vegetation indices (VI) of deciduous forest. We also simulated and compared the MISR NDVI and EVI response of subtropical deciduous and tropical evergreen forests as a function of the large seasonal SZA amplitude of 33°. Results showed that the MODIS-MISR NDVI and EVI presented higher values in the summer and lower ones in the winter with decreasing LAI and increasing SZA or greater amounts of canopy shadows viewed by the sensors. In the winter, NDVI reduced local topographic effects due to the red-near infrared (NIR) band normalization. However, the contrary was observed for the three-band EVI that enhanced local variations in shaded and sunlit surfaces due to its strong dependence on the NIR band response. The reflectance anisotropy of the MISR bands increased from the summer to winter and was stronger in the backscattering direction at large view zenith angles (VZA). EVI was much more anisotropic than NDVI and the anisotropy increased from the summer to winter. It also increased from the forward scatter to the backscattering direction with the predominance of sunlit canopy components viewed by MISR, especially at large VZA. Modeling PROSAIL results confirmed the stronger anisotropy of EVI than NDVI for the subtropical deciduous and tropical evergreen forests. PROSAIL showed that LAI and SZA are coupled factors to decrease seasonally the VIs of deciduous forest with the first one having greater importance than the latter. However, PROSAIL seasonal variations in VIs were much smaller than those observed with MODIS data probably because the effects of shadows in heterogeneous canopy structures or/and cast by emergent trees and from local topography were not modeled.     

Investigating the impact of the temporal resolution of MODIS data on measured phenology in the prairie grasslands

ABSTRACT

The temporal resolution of vegetation indices (VIs) determines the details of seasonal variation in vegetation dynamics observed by remote sensing, but little has been known about how the temporal resolution of VIs affects the retrieval of land surface phenology (LSP) of grasslands. This study evaluated the impact of temporal resolution of MODIS NDVI, EVI, and per-pixel green chromatic coordinate (GCCpp) on the quality and accuracy of the estimated LSP metrics of prairie grasslands. The near-surface PheonoCam phenology data for grasslands centered over Lethbridge PhenoCam grassland site were used as the validation datasets due to the lack of in situ observations for grasslands in the Prairie Ecozone. MODIS Nadir Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF)-Adjusted Reflectance (NBAR) data from 2001 to 2017 were used to compute the time series of daily reference and to simulate 2–32 day MODIS VIs. The daily reference and simulated multi-day time series were fitted with the double logistic model, and the LSP metrics were then retrieved from the modeled daily time series separately. Comparison within satellite-based estimates showed no significant difference in the phenological metrics derived from daily reference and multi-day VIs resampled at a time step less than 18 days. Moreover, a significant decline in the ability of multi-day VIs to predict detailed temporal dynamics of daily reference VIs was revealed as the temporal resolution increased. Besides, there were a variety of trends for the onset of phenological transitions as the temporal resolution of VIs changed from 1 to 32 days. Comparison with PhenoCam phenology data presented small and insignificant differences in the mean bias error (MBE) and the mean absolute error (MAE) of grassland phenological metrics derived from daily, 8-, 10-, 14-, and 16-day MODIS VIs. Overall, this study suggested that the MODIS VIs resampled at a time step less than 18 days are favorable for the detection of grassland phenological transitions and detailed seasonal dynamics in the Prairie Ecozone.     

Comparison of eMODIS and MOD/MYD13A2 NDVI products during 2012–2014 spring green-up periods in Alaska and northwest Canada

Accurate monitoring of vegetation dynamics is required to understand the inter-annual variability and long term trends in terrestrial carbon exchange in tundra and boreal ecoregions. In western North America, two Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI) products based on spectral reflectance data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are available. The MOD/MYD13A2 NDVI product is available as a 16-day composite product in a sinusoidal projection as global hdf tiles. The eMODIS Alaska NDVI product is available as a 7-day composite geotif product in a regional equal area conic projection covering Alaska and the entire Yukon River Basin. These two NDVI products were compared for the 2012–2014 late May–late June spring green-up periods in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Relative to the MOD/MYD13A2 NDVI product, it is likely that the eMODIS NDVI product contained more cloud-contaminated NDVI values. For example, the MOD/MYD13A2 product flagged substantially fewer pixels as “good quality” in each 16-day composite period compared to the corresponding MODIS Alaska NDVI product from a 7-day composite period. During the spring green-up period, when field-based NDVI increases, the eMODIS NDVI product averaged 43 percent of pixels that declined by at least 0.05 NDVI between 2 composite periods, consistent with cloud-contamination problems, while the MOD/MYD13A2 NDVI averaged only 6 percent of pixels. Based on a cloudy Landsat-8 scene, the eMODIS compositing process selected 23 percent pixels, while the MOD/MYD13A2 compositing process selected less than 0.003 percent pixels. Based on the results, it appears that the MOD/MYD13A2 NDVI product is superior for scientific applications based on NDVI phenology in the tundra and boreal regions of northwestern North America.