Scattering by Lambertian-leaves canopy: dependence on leaf-area projections

A single-scattering model is constructed for a canopy with Lamber-tian leaves. The azimuthal distribution of the leaves is represented by fractional abundances of the leaf-area in the cardinal directions with respect to the Sun. The canopy bi-directional reflectances are found to be controlled by the projections of the leaf-areas onto horizontal and vertical planes. The sum of the leaf-area projections onto the horizontal plane determines the reflectance to the zenith when the Sun is at the zenith. For a complete canopy this reflectance is where w_xh is the fractional projection onto the horizontal plane of leaf-area of leaf-category x, g_x is the leaf reflectance (assumed equal to the leaf transmittance), and ψ_x, is the zenith angle of the leaf normal for this category. As the view and solar zenith angles deviate from the nadir, the change in the reflectance in the principal plane of the Sun is controlled by ihe difference in the leaf-area projections onto the vertical plane of the leaves with leaf-normals in opposite quadrants in the principal plane. When these two leaf-categories are identical (other than in their azimuths), a large region around the zenith exhibits the Lambertian viewing property, that is, the reflectance does not change with the view or illumination directions. Forward scattering and backscattering, which become intense when both the illumination zenith angle θ₀ and the view zenith angle θ_v are large (approach 90°) while ψ is not small (or when ψ is large while θ₀ and θ_v are not small), are controlled by the sum of these two leaf-area projections. The reflectance has then the limiting value g sinψ(cot θ₀ + cotθ_v), where g and ψ characterize the two leaf categories with normals in the principal plane. This expression represents a generalization of a result obtained for a field of thin vertical cylinders     

Vegetation canopy reflectance

Possible cause-effect relationships in producing vegetation canopy reflectance are discussed. Hemispherical reflectance and even bidirectional reflectance measurements are shown to be inadequate to predict or understand vegetation canopy reflectance in many situations. Among the additional important parameters necessary for prediction and understanding of vegetation canopy reflectance are leaf hemispherical transmittance, leaf area and orientation, characteristics of other components of the vegetation canopy (stalks, trunks, limbs), soil reflectance, solar zenith angle, look angle, and azimuth angle. The effects of these parameters on vegetation canopy bidirectional spectral reflectance are described.     

Diurnal patterns of bidirectional vegetation indices for wheat canopies

The perpendicular vegetation index (PVI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were calculated from Mark II radiometer RED (0.63-0.69 μm) and NIR (0.76–0.90 μ) bidirectional radiance observations for wheat canopies. Measurements were taken over the plant development interval flag leaf expansion to watery ripeness of the kernels during which the leaf area index (LAI) decreased from 40 to 2-5. Spectral data were taken on four cloudless days five times (09.30, 11.00, 12.30, 14.00 and 15.30 hours (central standard time, C.S.T.) at five view zenith, Zv (0, 15, 30,45 and 60°) and eight view azimuth angles relative to the Sun, A_v (0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270 and 315°). The PVI was corrected to a common solar irradiance (PVIC) based on simultaneously observed insolation readings.

The PVIC at nadir view (?=0°) increased as (l/cosZ_s) increased on all the measurement days whereas the NDVI changed little as solar zenith angle (Z_s) changed. Thus, the PVIC responded to increasing path length through the canopy, or the number of leaves encountered, as solar zenith angle changed whereas the NDVI, which has saturated by the time an LAI of 2 was achieved, was nonresponsive.

Off-nadir PVIC ratioed to nadir PVIC increased as the view zenith and solar zenith angles increased (reciprocity in Sun and view angles), and as the view azimuth, A angle approached the Sun position (back scattering stronger that forwardscattering). In contrast, the DNVI was very stable for all view and solar angles consistent with saturation in its response. Even though the PVI is subject to bidirectional effects, it contains more useful information about wheat canopies at LAI > 2 than does the NDVI. The NDVI of the plant canopies changed rapidly at low vegetative cover but its bidirectional sensitivity at low LAI was not investigated.     

Extraction of spectral hemispherical reflectance (albedo) of surfaces from nadir and directional reflectance data

Abstract

A radiative transfer model was used to explore how the error in inferring spectral hemispherical reflectance (p_λ) from nadir reflectance values varies as a function of wavelength, solar zenith angle, leaf area index and leaf orientation distribution. Secondly, a technique using multiple spectral nadir reflectance values to infer p_λ for a single wavelength was tested using field data. In addition, several techniques that use multiple off-nadir view angles taken in azimuth planes (called strings of data) were tested using field data. These latter techniques were very accurate (with errors less than 4 percent of the true value)and are ideally suited to present and future sensor systems that scan in a known azimuth plane (e.g. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and other scanning radiometers) or view fore and aft in a known azimuth plane (e.g. Advanced Solid-State Array Sensor (ASAS)Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS)High Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (HIRIS)), a brief analysis was performed to explore the effects of errors in hemispherical reflectance on terrestrial energy budget and productivity calculations.     

Panicle contribution to bidirectional reflectance factors of a wheat canopy

Bidirectional reflectance factors (BRFs) of crop stands are strongly influenced by canopy architecture. In wheat, as well as in many other crops, canopy architecture changes dramatically with the phenological development of the plant community.

A ground-based experiment was performed to examine the effect of panicles of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at the flowering stage on canopy BRFs. Reflectance factors were measured in the field with a portable radiometer in the red (0-63-0-69 μm) and near-infrared (0-76-0-90 μm) wavelength intervals. Observations were made at three viewing angles and 14 solar zenith angles during two consecutive days on a control target and on a target where panicles had been removed.

Panicles did not contribute significantly to the red nor to the near-infrared (NIR) reflectance factors computed from nadir observations. Off-nadir NIR reflectance was also not altered by the presence of panicles, but was moderately sensitive to illumination angle. Off-nadir red reflectance in the backscattcring direction was higher in the canopy with panicles than in the canopy without panicles: at a solar zenith angle of about 50° the difference in the reflectance of the two targets reached a maximum of about 39 per cent.

These findings imply a potential to identify crops and their phenological development by more fully exploiting reflectance at several different viewing and solar angles.     

Sun-view angle effects on reflectance factors of corn canopies

The bidirectional reflectance characteristics of vegetation canopies vary with time of day and through the growing season. In this study the effects of sun and view angles on bidirectional reflectance factors from corn (Zea mays L.) canopies ranging in development from the six leaf stage to harvest maturity were examined. For nadir-acquired reflectance factors there was a strong solar angle dependence in all spectral bands for canopies with low leaf area index (LAI). A decrease in contrast between bare soil and vegetation due to shadows at larger solar zenith angles appeared to be the cause of this dependence. Sun angle dependence was least for well-developed canopies with higher LAI. However, for higher LAI canopies a moderate increase in reflectance factor was observed at larger solar zenith angles and was attributed to the presence of specular reflectance. Trends of off-nadir reflectance factors with respect to sun angle at different view azimuth angles indicated that the position of the sensor relative to the sun was an important factor for determining the angular reflectance characteristics of corn canopies. Reflectance factors were maximized for coincident sun and view angles and minimized when the sensor view direction was towards the sun. View direction relative to row orientation also contributed to the variation in reflectance factors.     

View azimuth and zenith,and solar angle effects on wheat canopy reflectance

Since crop canopies are not lambertian reflectors, their reflectance varies with sun and view positions. It is not always possible or convenient to make reflectance measurements from the nadir position nor at the same time of day. Therefore, ways of estimating nadir reflectance from off-nadir views and for various solar zenith angles are needed. In this study, spectral measurements were made with a Mark II radiometer five times during the day on each of four dates from 15° interval zenith and 45° azimuth positions for wheat canopies during the development interval stem extension to watery ripeness of the grain. The ratio of off-nadir [R(Z_v,A_v)] to nadir [R(0)] radiance in NIR band (0.76–0.90 μm) was described by the regression equation: $\text{R(Z}{}_{\mathrm{v}}\text{,A}{}_{\mathrm{v}}\text{)}\text{R(0)}\text{= 1.0 + [β}{}_0\text{+ β}{}_1\text{sin}\text{(}\text{A}{}_{\mathrm{v}}\text{2}\text{) + β}{}_2\text{(1/}\text{cos}\text{Z}{}_{\mathrm{s}}\text{)]}\text{sin}\text{Z}{}_{\mathrm{v}}$ where A_v is view azimuth angle relative to the sum position, Z_s is solar zenith angle, and Z_v is view zenith angle. The coefficient of determination was 0.70 or higher. The equation describes the observations that 1) the ratio of off-nadir to nadir radiance increases or decreases as view zenith angle increases depending on view azimuth angle; backscattering is stronger than forwardscattering and the pattern is azimuthally symmetric about the principal plane of the sun; and 2) the rate of change in the radiance ratio increases with increasing solar zenith angle. The coefficients, β₀, β₁ and β₂, changed as the canopies grew. Although the equation needs to be more fully tested, it should help summarize and compare various angular observation data taken in crop fields.     

Assessing spectral indices to estimate the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by the vegetation canopy

ABSTRACT

The fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) by the vegetation canopy (FPAR_canopy) is an important parameter for vegetation productivity estimation using remote-sensing data. FPAR_canopy is widely estimated using many different spectral vegetation indices (VIs), especially the simple ratio vegetation index (SR) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). However, there have been few studies into which VIs are most suitable for this estimation or into their sensitivities to the leaf area index and the observation geometry of remote-sensing data, which are very important for the accurate estimation of FPAR_canopy based on the plant growth stage and satellite imagery. In this study, nine main VIs calculated from field-measured spectra were evaluated and it was found that the SR and NDVI underestimated and overestimated FPAR_canopy, respectively. It was also found that the enhanced vegetation index produced lesser errors and a higher agreement than other broadband VIs used to estimate FPAR_canopy. Among all the selected VIs, the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) turned out to have the lowest root mean square error of 0.17. The SR produced the highest errors (about 0.37) and lowest index of agreement (about 0.50) compared to the measured values of FPAR_canopy. Except for carotenoid reflectance index (CRI), FPAR_canopy estimated by VIs are evidently sensitive to the leaf area index (LAI), especially for FPAR_canopy (SR), which are also most sensitive to solar zenith angles (SZA). SR, CRI, PRI, and EVI have remarked variations with view zenith angles. Our study shows that FPAR_canopy can be simply and accurately estimated using the most suitable VIs – i.e. EVI and PRI – with broadband and hyperspectral remote-sensing data, respectively, and that the nadir reflectance or nadir bidirectional reflectance distribution function adjusted reflectance should be used to calculate these VIs.     

Validation of a Markov chain canopy reflectance model

The Markov chain canopy reflectance model (MCRM) by Kuusk (1995 b) has been tested versus the ray tracing model on two different computer maquettes of field crops (Barley and Beet), and on the field data collected in the frame of the Franco-English Collaborative Reflectance Experiment in 1989 and 1990 on sugar-beet plots. Separate comparisons of single and multiple scattering components of the MCRM and the ray tracing procedure demonstrated good agreement of the models. Inversion of the MCRM on field data returned good estimates of LAI in the range LAI 0.1-4 using nadir reflectance data in three SPOT and two Landsat TM channels. The estimated chlorophyll content was well correlated to the measured one, although underestimated to some extent. The use of directional data at 45 zenith angle and four azimuth angles improved the estimates of both the LAI and the chlorophyll content. It also permitted the estimation of additional parameters of the canopy structure (leaf size, LAD, the Markov parameter).     

Spectral unmixing model to assess land cover fractions in Mongolian steppe regions

The land cover fractions (LCFs) and spectral reflectance of photosynthetic vegetation (PV), nonphotosynthetic vegetation (NPV), and bare soil were measured at 58 sites in semi-arid and arid regions of Mongolia in the summers of 2005 and 2006. These data sets allowed a detailed assessment of the impact of measurement geometry as represented by the solar zenith angle θ_s, sensor view zenith angle θ_v and azimuth view angle ? in the estimation of LCF values by means of the spectral unmixing model (SUM). The bidirectional distribution function (BRDF) was fitted to the reflectance data and then used to produce reflectance at various measurement geometries. LCFs from these reflectance data for a given combination of θ_s, θ_v, and ? were compared with visually determined LCFs. It was found that θ_s in the range of 30-45° produced a better agreement of LCFs. For θ_v, the agreement is not very sensitive to the choice of angle for the range 30-70°, although θ_v = 50° showed a slightly better performance. The azimuth view angle does not have strong influences to the LCF estimation, except for the case of ? = 180° (view toward the sun), which does not allow precise fitting of BRDF function over a tall vegetation site. Overall, this study verified the results of earlier studies obtained mostly for the American continents that SUM is capable of producing LCF estimates accurately and also found that its accuracy was, in general, much better than that by the more traditional approach of the supervised classification method (SCM) applied to images of a digital camera.     

Reflectance relations in row crop scenes

Abstract

Models that relate composite reflectance to its components are useful for inferring crop growth information from measured scene reflectance. Radiation measurements in Thematic Mapper bands (TM1, TM2, TM3, and TM4) were made from cotton, soybean, sunflower and grain sorghum at three stages of growth and used to evaluate three reflectance models. Two models, AIRM1 and AIRM2, assumed that scene components contribute in an additive independent manner to composite reflectance. The third model, TRIM, assumes that radiation transmitted through the canopy interacts with bare soil in two scene components. The AIRM2 and TRIM models divide the composite reflectance into canopy, bare soil, and shadow components, but AIRM1 considers only canopy and bare soil. Ranking of models in order of decreasing accuracy for predicting composite reflectance in bands TM3 and TM4 was AIRM2, TRIM, and AIRM1. The AIRM1 and AIRM2 models estimated average TM3 reflectance at full plant cover between 1 and 4 per cent for all crops. Their estimations in band TM4 were 60 per cent for cotton, soybean, and sunflower with grain sorghum being 50 percent.

Measured canopy and composite reflectances were graphically compared at the lowest and highest levels of canopy cover observed in each crop. Measured band TM3 canopy reflectance did not change with solar zenith angle, composite reflectance decreased with increasing zenith angle at the lowest canopy cover levels but was invariant at the highest canopy cover levels. Measured band TM4 canopy reflectance increased linearly with increasing solar zenith angle in all crops, but for composite reflectance this pattern was observed only at the highest canopy cover levels of cotton and soybean. The absence of a uniform pattern between band TM4 composite reflectance and solar zenith angle in grain sorghum is presumably due to large horizontal leaf angles and in sunflower to long vertical spacings between leaves. Predicted compared to measured band TM3 and TM4 composite reflectances of the AIRM1 and AIRM2 models were insensitive but the TRIM model was overly sensitive to zenith angle.     

Direct retrieval of the shape of leaf spectral albedo from multiangular hyperspectral Earth observation data

Physically-based retrieval of vegetation canopy properties from remote sensing data presumes a knowledge of the spectral albedo of the basic scattering unit, i.e. leaf. In this paper, we present a novel method to directly retrieve the spectral dependence of leaf single-scattering albedo of a closed broadleaf forest canopy from multiangular hyperspectral satellite imagery. The new algorithm is based on separating the reflected signal into a linear (first-order) and non-linear (diffuse) reflectance component. A limitation of the proposed algorithm is that the leaf single-scattering albedo ω(λ) is retrieved with an accuracy of a structural parameter (called a₀) which, in turn, depends on canopy bidirectional gap probability, ratio of leaf reflectance to transmittance, and distribution of leaf normals. The structural parameter (a₀) was found to depend on tree-level structural parameters, such as tree height and volume of a single crown, but not the amount of leaf area.     

Evaluation of an improved version of SAIL model for simulating bidirectional reflectance of sugar beet canopies

The processing of remote-sensing data requires simple but accurate models of directional reflectance of the vegetation canopy. In this study, a reflectance model for a homogeneous canopy is evaluated over an extensive set of radiometric measurements performed on sugar beet canopies. The model corresponds to the Scattering by Arbitrary Inclined Leaves (SAIL) model (Verhoef, 1984) in which the term for first order scattering is corrected for hot-spot and leaf specular reflectance. Leaf optical properties are calculated using the PROSPECT model (Jacquemond and Baret, 1990). Experimental data correspond to a two-year experiment and express a large variability of leaf area index, chlorophyll concentration and soil background optical properties. In the first data set, reflectance was measured about midday under vertical viewing in five optical Thematic Mapper bands. In the second data set, both vertical and oblique measurements (zenith angle 45°, four azimuth angles) were performed from sunrise to sunset in the three SPOT bands. Except for leaf cuticle reflectance, structure and optical variables were measured in the field or adjusted to field measurement, independently of reflectance calculations. Although the structure of sugar beet canopies departs strongly from a turbid medium, a good agreement with measurements was obtained in the case of vertical, north and south view directions. However, the model underestimated the measurements close to the hot-spot direction. In the near infrared, there was also some underestimation of canopy reflectance in the opposite direction to the hot-spot. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed.     

Estimating bidirectional angles in NOAA AVHRR images

In studies concerning the surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) and thermal-infrared multiangular emissions, Sun-sensor geometry must be known. This Letter provides a potential and simple method for NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) users to estimate the imaging configuration of each pixel in a geometrically corrected image. Our formulas were tested with example AVHRR data and their precision was shown to be comparatively high with a maximum error of either the satellite zenith or azimuth angle less than 4°. The standard deviation for the zenith is 2.07° and azimuth is 2.47°.     

Remote sensing reflectance and its relationship to optical properties of natural waters

Monte Carlo simulations of photon propagation through natural water have been utilized to determine the sub-surface remote sensing reflectance, R _RSW (the sub-surface value of the ratio of upwelling radiance from the nadir to the downwelling irradiance) as a function of water type (defined by the ratio of the backscattering coefficient to the absorption coefficient Bb/a), solar zenith angle, and incident radiation distribution (direct or diffuse). R _RSW, as opposed to volume reflectance, R _V (the sub-surface value of the ratio of upwelling to downwelling vector irradiance), is directly applicable to remotely sensed data collected over natural waters. It is shown that, for a nadir viewing direction, (a) R _RSW is essentially independent of solar zenith angle and incident radiation distribution and (b) the dominant factor in determining R _RSW is the optical nature of the water body itself (expressed as Bb/a). A relationship between the sub-surface remote sensing reflectance averaged over solar zenith angle between 15° and 89°, R _RSW and water type is found to predict R _RSW with an r.m.s. error of 9 per cent. Also addressed is the determination of the aquatic optical property, Bb/a, from the sub-surface remote sensing reflectance, R _RSW This capability along with the specific absorption and scattering coefficients of aquatic constituents can, through bio-optical models, be used to estimate the concentrations of these aquatic constituents in non-Case I waters. The empirical relationship obtained to estimate Bb/a (with a r.m.s. error of 9·3 per cent) from the nadir value of the sub-surface remote sensing reflectance is Bb/a = 0·0027 + 987R _RSW ? 34·5( R _RSW)² + 1534( R _RSW)³.     

Global sensitivity analysis of PROSAIL model parameters when simulating Moso bamboo forest canopy reflectance

PROSAIL is a combination of the leaf optical properties spectra (PROSPECT) model and the scattering by arbitrarily inclined leaves (SAIL) canopy bidirectional reflectance model. When modelling forest canopy reflectance using the PROSAIL radiative transfer model, the sensitivities of parameters can affect the modelling accuracy. Traditionally, sensitivities have been assessed using local sensitivity analysis (LSA); however, drawbacks to this approach include a lack of consideration for coupled effects between different parameters. In this study, parameter sensitivities in the PROSAIL model were calculated using two global sensitivity analysis (GSA) methods (the Extended Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test (EFAST) method and the Morris method), field measurements, and Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) data for a Moso bamboo forest. The results of GSA were compared with those of LSA in order to identify the key parameters impacting the Moso bamboo forest canopy reflectance, and to provide a reference for model optimization and vegetation canopy inversion improvement. The results showed that: (1) the sensitivities of six major input parameters of the PROSAIL model were generally consistent with the sorting orders of the two GSA methods, but were not in accordance with those from the LSA method, especially in the mid-infrared band; (2) coupled effects among parameters acting on reflectance simulation in visible light bands were greater than those in infrared bands; (3) the simulated canopy reflectance was evaluated using Landsat 5 TM data, and the results simulated based on LSA analysis showed higher error than those based on GSA analysis, because the LSA method ignored the influence of some parameters on canopy reflectance, e.g. leaf mesophyll structure (N), average leaf angle (ALA), leaf water content (C_w), and leaf dry matter content (C_m). However, GSA was able to fully consider the coupled effects among parameters, and thus identified the sensitive parameters impacting on reflectance more accurately.     

Leaf chlorophyll content retrieval from airborne hyperspectral remote sensing imagery

Hyperspectral remote sensing has great potential for accurate retrieval of forest biochemical parameters. In this paper, a hyperspectral remote sensing algorithm is developed to retrieve total leaf chlorophyll content for both open spruce and closed forests, and tested for open forest canopies. Ten black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.)) stands near Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, were selected as study sites, where extensive field and laboratory measurements were carried out to collect forest structural parameters, needle and forest background optical properties, and needle biophysical parameters and biochemical contents chlorophyll a and b. Airborne hyperspectral remote sensing imagery was acquired, within one week of ground measurements, by the Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) in a hyperspectral mode, with 72 bands and half bandwidth 4.25-4.36 nm in the visible and near-infrared region and a 2 m spatial resolution. The geometrical-optical model 4-Scale and the modified leaf optical model PROSPECT were combined to estimate leaf chlorophyll content from the CASI imagery. Forest canopy reflectance was first estimated with the measured leaf reflectance and transmittance spectra, forest background reflectance, CASI acquisition parameters, and a set of stand parameters as inputs to 4-Scale. The estimated canopy reflectance agrees well with the CASI measured reflectance in the chlorophyll absorption sensitive regions, with discrepancies of 0.06%-1.07% and 0.36%-1.63%, respectively, in the average reflectances of the red and red-edge region. A look-up-table approach was developed to provide the probabilities of viewing the sunlit foliage and background, and to determine a spectral multiple scattering factor as functions of leaf area index, view zenith angle, and solar zenith angle. With the look-up tables, the 4-Scale model was inverted to estimate leaf reflectance spectra from hyperspectral remote sensing imagery. Good agreements were obtained between the inverted and measured leaf reflectance spectra across the visible and near-infrared region, with R² = 0.89 to R² = 0.97 and discrepancies of 0.02%-3.63% and 0.24%-7.88% in the average red and red-edge reflectances, respectively. Leaf chlorophyll content was estimated from the retrieved leaf reflectance spectra using the modified PROSPECT inversion model, with R² = 0.47, RMSE = 4.34 μg/cm², and jackknifed RMSE of 5.69 μg/cm² for needle chlorophyll content ranging from 24.9 μg/cm² to 37.6 μg/cm². The estimates were also assessed at leaf and canopy scales using chlorophyll spectral indices TCARI/OSAVI and MTCI. An empirical relationship of simple ratio derived from the CASI imagery to the ground-measured leaf area index was developed (R² = 0.88) to map leaf area index. Canopy chlorophyll content per unit ground surface area was then estimated, based on the spatial distributions of leaf chlorophyll content per unit leaf area and the leaf area index.     

Evaluation of Canopy Biophysical Variable Retrieval Performances from the Accumulation of Large Swath Satellite Data

The objective of this study was to compare the retrieval performances of several biophysical variables from the accumulation of large swath satellite data, the VEGETATION/SPOT4 sensor being taken as an example. This included leaf area index (LAI), fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR) and chlorophyll content integrated over the canopy (C_ab·LAI), gap fraction in any direction [P₀(θ)], or in particular directions (nadir [P₀(0)], sun direction [P₀(θ_s)], or 58° [P₀(58°)] for which the gap fraction is theoretically independent of the LAI). A database of top of canopy BRDF (bidirectional reflectance distribution function) of homogeneous canopies was built using simulations by the SAIL, PROSPECT, and SOILSPECT radiative transfer models for a large range of input variables (LAI, mean leaf inclination angle, hot spot parameter, leaves and soil optical properties, date and latitude of observations) considering the accumulation of observations during an orbit cycle of 26 days. Walthall's BRDF model was used to estimate nadir (ρ₀) and hemispherical reflectance (ρ_h). Results showed that ρ₀ and ρ_h were estimated with a good accuracy (RMSE=0.02) even when few observations within a sequence were available due to cloud masking. The ρ₀ and ρ_h estimates in the blue (445 nm), the red (645 nm), near-infrared (835 nm), and middle infrared (1665 nm) were then used as inputs to neural networks calibrated for estimation of the canopy biophysical variables using part of the data base. Performances evaluated over the rest of the database showed that variables such as nadir gap fraction (P₀(58°)P₀(θ_s)fAPAR) were accurately estimated by neural networks (relative RMSE<0.05). Results of the estimation of LAI (LAI·Cab) was less satisfactory since the level of reflectance saturates for high values of LAI (relative RMSE<0.08). The estimation of the directional variation of the gap fraction was not accurate because the amount of directional information contained in the input variables of the neural network was not sufficient. We also investigated the problem of mixed pixels due to the low spatial resolution associated with large swath sensors. Results showed that variables such as nadir gap fraction were not as sensitive to high levels of heterogeneity in pixels as variables such as leaf area index.     

Modelling planting configuration and canopy architecture effects on diurnal light absorption changes in cotton

Abstract

A simplified model that accounts for diurnal solar zenith and azimuth angle illumination changes and plant geometry effects on photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was developed, h was tested using diurnal absorbed PAR (APAR) measurements acquired for cotton (Gossvpium hirsuium L.) grown at Weslaco, Texas, during the 1984 and 1986 growing seasons. Diurnal canopy reflectance and transmittance measurements were automatically collected at 3-minute intervals from about 9.00 to 14.50 local standard time (LST) using radiometers mounted 3·7m above the soil surface and PAR light bar sensors located beneath the crop canopy perpendicular to the crop rows. Plant growth measurements estimated by the model were significantly correlated with observed measurements during crop development. Model-estimated heliotropic leaf elevation trends agreed with published results for cotton canopies. APAR, relative to incident PAR, was generally lower for east-west rows than for north-south rows during crop development. The APAR response of cotton canopies for both east-west and north-south rows were found to be essentially flat when solar azimuth was between 90° and 270° so one observation close to noon would probably be representative of the diurnal APAR measurements.