We investigated the potential of ALOS/PALSAR for estimating the above-ground biomass (AGB) and other biophysical parameters (tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and tree stand density) in the boreal forest of Alaska. In July 2007, forest surveys were conducted along a south–north transect (150°W) to profile the ecotone from boreal forest to tundra in Alaska. In situ parameters were measured in 29 forests by a combination of the Bitterlich angle-count sampling method and the sampled-tree measuring method. These in situ values were compared with the backscatter intensity of ALOS/PALSAR. A strong positive logarithmic correlation was found between the backscatter intensity and the forest AGB, with the correlation being stronger in the HV than in the HH polarization mode. No obvious saturation was found in the sensitivity of the HV mode backscatter intensity to the forest AGB up to 120.7 Mg ha?1. Similarly, a robust sensitivity was found in the HV backscatter intensity to both tree height and DBH, but weak sensitivity was observed for tree density. The regression curve of HV backscatter intensity to the forest AGB appeared to be intensified by the uneven forest floor, particularly for forests with small AGB. The geographical distribution of the forest AGB was mapped, demonstrating a generally south-rich and north-poor forest AGB gradient. 相似文献
Satellite remote sensing studies of snow cover in high-latitude boreal forests require ground-truth verification based on ground observation networks. In this study, we used time-lapse digital images to precisely detect the extent of snow cover at nine locations in the boreal forests of Alaska, and to demonstrate the relationship of these ground-truth measurements to satellite indices of snow cover. Our results show that normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVIs) and normalized difference water indices (NDWIs) show significant variations at the end and beginning periods of continuous snow cover: the NDVIs on the last days of continuous snow cover ranged from 0.12 to 0.37, and those on the first days of continuous snow cover ranged from 0.16 to 0.38. The normalized difference snow indices (NDSIs) were also positive during periods of continuous snow cover and negative during periods of no snow cover. The NDWIs varied significantly from the beginning to the end of periods of continuous snow cover. This study confirms that continuous snow cover is important for accurate phenological studies using NDVIs in the region of the trans-Alaska camera network. Simple cameras can be effectively utilized in ground-based networks, functioning not only as a ground-truth verification tools for calibrating satellite indices, but also as a source of data to fill data gaps in satellite records. 相似文献
Transport of moisture-bearing air to the Antarctic is one of the important factors that control the mass balance of the ice sheet. Here, we investigate the distribution of air-parcel transport using a backward trajectory analysis over the entire Antarctic ice sheet, based on whether the air parcel was located inside or outside of Antarctica at 5 days before arrival. At this time, we considered the air from outside Antarctica to be moisture rich. Oceanic air was found to dominate in West Antarctica throughout the year, whereas air from inland was more prominently distributed around East Antarctica, especially in summer. In East Antarctica, there was a significant seasonal variation: air from inland dominated in summer, while air of oceanic origin dominated in winter. The distribution of air parcels that came from oceanic/inland sources was similar to the accumulation map (based on satellite data), which indicates that oceanic air parcels could be a substitute for moisture transport to the Antarctic. To determine the future impacts of climate change (e.g., sea level rise), more precise predictions of the variations in the surface mass balance will be required. Our results contribute towards the improved understanding of the spatial distributions of accumulation and aerosols found in Antarctic snow and ice cores. 相似文献
The dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity in the surface brackish waters of Lake Hamana were investigated monthly from October 2017 to September 2019 at 14 stations. The partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) in the surface water ranged from 29 to 1476 μatm and was undersaturated for atmospheric CO2 during the observation periods, although most coastal waters were net source areas because of the large amount of terrestrial organic and inorganic carbon input. Since there was a strong negative correlation between pCO2 and the dissolved oxygen, seasonal and temporal variations in pCO2 were mainly derived from phytoplankton activity. The high phytoplankton activity induced by the effluents from sewage treatment plants, which was low in carbon and high in nitrogen. Therefore, in urbanized coastal waters with sewage treatment plants, such as the coastal waters of Japan, there is a possibility of shifting from weaker carbon dioxide source areas to sink areas. However, pCO2 was oversaturated at the polluted river mouth, especially after high precipitation events due to the large carbon supply.
This ten-year study examined the morphological, physiological, and ecological characteristics of coral growth anomalies on Acropora cytherea on Amuro Island, Okinawa, Japan. The objectives of the study were to assess whether the growth anomalies, identified as diffuse disruptions on the skeleton: (i) were more prevalent on large colonies than on small colonies, (ii) were more common near the center of the colonies than peripherally, (iii) affected colony growth and mortality, and (iv) affected coral-colony fecundity and photosynthetic capacity. We hypothesized that the growth anomalies were signs of the onset of aging. The growth anomalies were more prevalent on colonies >2 m diameter, and were concentrated near the central (older) portions of the colonies. The growth anomalies were also associated with reduced productivity and dysfunctional gametogenesis. Still, the growth anomalies did not appear to affect colony survival. The contact experiments showed that the growth anomalies were not contagious, and were most likely a sign of aging that was exacerbated by thermal stress. 相似文献
Spatio-temporal changes in macrozoobenthic assemblage structure were monitored at 8 stations in a river-affected temperate lagoon (Idoura Lagoon, Japan) from May 1997 to May 1998 to assess animal–environment relationships in estuarine soft-bottom habitats. A total of 29 taxa occurred with a predominance of a few polychaete species including Heteromastus cf. similis, Hediste spp., Pseudopolydora cf. kempi and Prionospio japonica. The community structure differed significantly among four habitat types that were characterized by different salinity, sediment characteristics, and/or bottom elevation. For each habitat, macrozoobenthic community structure changed significantly with time, which was discriminated mostly by the lower density of polyhaline opportunistic species such as P. cf. kempi in warmer period. The salinity in the study area was much lower from May to September, mainly due to irrigation discharge from paddy fields, which seemed to be a lethal factor for the polyhaline species. C/N ratio and δ13C value of the sediment implied the accumulation of river-derived organic matters during the high river flow period. Present results showed the significant effects of fluctuating river discharge on the estuarine soft-bottom habitats, suggesting a linkage among terrestrial, riverine and estuarine ecosystems. 相似文献
Atomic oxygen density and airglow volume emission rate profiles measured in the rocket experiment S-310-29 carried out as a part of the Waves in Airglow Structures Experiment over Kagoshima in 2000 (WAVE2000) campaign are presented, and the excitation processes of the atomic oxygen 557.7 nm line and the molecular oxygen atmospheric band airglow emissions are discussed. The volume emission rate profiles calculated from the measured atomic oxygen densities using the methods and parameters proposed by the ETON campaign (EATON model) are found to well represent the shapes of measured twin-peak emission rate profiles seen during this campaign suggesting that the EATON model is valid for a perturbed atmosphere. There is some discrepancy in the modeled absolute values for the emissions. Applying the model to the current O density measurements results in predicted emission rates that are a factor of 3.2 and 1.5 too high for the 557.7 nm line and Atmospheric band, respectively. This suggests either that the atomic oxygen densities of the present campaign are too large by a factor of 1.2 (=1.51/2) to 1.5 (=3.21/3), or that those of the ETON campaign were too small by the same factor or that the combined errors in both campaigns can account for the discrepancy (the modeled volume emission rates of the 557.7 nm line and atmospheric band are roughly in proportion to [O]3 and [O]2, respectively). Our present data findings do not favor the 2-step more than the 1-step excitation process for the atmospheric band because a calculation of the quantum efficiency based on the observed O density does not show a steep gradient around 100 km. 相似文献
Following our hypothesis that each supernova (SN) event triggers star formation in the swept-up gas, so that newly formed
stars inherit the elemental abundance pattern of individual SNe, we deduce the production sites and yields for r-process elements. We further show that a strong evidence for the origin of r-process nucleosynthesis products was just there in our backyard - supernova SN1987A -, and conclude that 20 M⊙ SNe are the predominant production sites for r-process elements.
This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. 相似文献