Leaf Area Index derivation from hyperspectral vegetation indicesand the red edge position

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of various narrowband vegetation indices in estimating Leaf Area Index (LAI) of structurally different plant species having different soil backgrounds and leaf optical properties. The study uses a dataset collected during a controlled laboratory experiment. Leaf area indices were destructively acquired for four species with different leaf size and shape. Six widely used vegetation indices were investigated. Narrowband vegetation indices involved all possible two band combinations which were used for calculating RVI, NDVI, PVI, TSAVI and SAVI2. The red edge inflection point (REIP) was computed using three different techniques. Linear regression models as well as an exponential model were used to establish relationships. REIP determined using any of the three methods was generally not sensitive to variations in LAI (R ² < 0.1). However, LAI was estimated with reasonable accuracy from red/near-infrared based narrowband indices. We observed a significant relationship between LAI and SAVI2 (R ² = 0.77, RMSE = 0.59 (cross validated)). Our results confirmed that bands from the SWIR region contain relevant information for LAI estimation. The study verified that within the range of LAI studied (0.3 ≤ LAI ≤ 6.1), linear relationships exist between LAI and the selected narrowband indices.     

Modelling spectral reflectance of open cork oak woodland: a simulation analysis of the effects of vegetation structure and background

This study analyses the influence of vegetation structure (i.e. leaf area index and canopy cover) and seasonal background changes on moderate-resolution imaging spectrometer (MODIS)-simulated reflectance data in open woodland. Approximately monthly spectral reflectance and transmittance field measurements (May 2011 to October 2013) of cork oak tree leaves (Quercus suber) and of the herbaceous understorey were recorded in the region of Ribatejo, Portugal. The geometric-optical and radiative transfer (GORT) model was used to simulate MODIS response (red, near-infrared) and to calculate vegetation indices, investigating their response to changes in the structure of the overstorey vegetation and to seasonal changes in the understorey using scenarios corresponding to contrasting phenological status (dry season vs. wet season). The performance of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) is discussed. Results showed that SAVI and EVI were very sensitive to the emergence of background vegetation in the wet season compared to NDVI and that shading effects lead to an opposing trend in the vegetation indices. The information provided by this research can be useful to improve our understanding of the temporal dynamic of vegetation, monitored by vegetation indices.     

联合无人机激光雷达和高光谱数据反演玉米叶面积指数

叶面积指数（Leaf Area Index,LAI）是作物长势监测及产量估算的重要指标,准确高效的LAI反演对农田经济的宏观管理具有重要作用。研究探索了联合无人机激光雷达（Light Detection and Ranging,LiDAR）和高光谱数据反演玉米叶面积指数的潜力,并分析了LiDAR数据不同采样尺寸、高度阈值、点密度对LAI反演精度的影响同时确定三者的最优值。该研究分别从重采样的LiDAR数据和高光谱影像中提取了LiDAR变量和植被指数,然后基于偏最小二乘回归（Partial Least Square Regression,PLSR）和随机森林（Random Forest,RF）回归两种算法分别利用LiDAR变量、植被指数、联合LiDAR变量和植被指数构建预测模型,并确定反演玉米LAI的最优预测模型。结果表明：反演玉米LAI的最优采样尺寸、高度阈值、点密度分别为5.5 m、0.55 m、18 points/m2,研究发现最高的点密度（420 points/m2）并没有产生最优的玉米LAI反演精度,因此单独依靠增加点密度的方法提高LAI的反演精度并不可靠。基于LiDAR变量获...     

Potential of Dubois model for soil moisture retrieval in prairie areas using SAR and optical data

Soil moisture retrieval is often confounded by the influence of vegetation and surface roughness on the backscattered radar signal in vegetated areas. In this study, a semi-empirical methodology is proposed to retrieve soil moisture in prairie areas. The effect of vegetation is eliminated by the ratio vegetation method and water cloud model (WCM), respectively. The conditions of vegetation are characterized by leaf area index (LAI), vegetation water content (VWC), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and enhanced vegetation index (EVI), respectively. To remove the dependence on surface roughness, the dielectric constant is explicitly expressed as the function of co-polarization backscattering coefficients and sensor parameters based on the Dubois model. The ground measurements and satellite data collected from the Ruoergai and Wutumeiren prairies of China allow for validating the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed methodology. From the perspective of soil moisture retrieval accuracy, the ratio vegetation method performs better than WCM. In the Ruoergai prairie, the best soil moisture retrieval result is obtained when EVI is used, with correlation coefficient (r) and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.87 and 3.50 vol.%, respectively. While in the Wutumeiren prairie, the lowest retrieval error is obtained when LAI is used, with r and RMSE values of 0.79 and 5.73 vol.%, respectively. These results demonstrate that the Dubois model has a potential for enhancing soil moisture retrieval in prairie areas using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and optical data.     

Sensitivity of vegetation indices to substrate brightness in hyper-arid environment: The Makhtesh Ramon Crater (Israel) case study

The influence of soil background on most vegetation indices (VIs) derived from remotely sensed imagery is a well known phenomenon, and has generated interest in the development of indices that would be less sensitive to this influence. Several such indices have been developed thus far. This paper focuses on testing and comparing the sensitivity of seven intensively used, Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) derived, VIs (NDVI, SAVI, MSAVI, PVI, WDVI, SAVI 2 and TSAVI) to bare surface variation with almost no vegetation signal. The study was conducted on a terrain composed of a high variety of bare surface materials of which basalt and gypsum are two extremely dark and bright substrates respectively. It was found that SAVI and MSAVI respond to bare surface material very similarly. Such close similarity was also found between PVI and WDVI, and between SAVI 2 and TSAVI. NDVI tends to be overestimated on dark surfaces, while SAVI, PVI and TSAVI show more sensitivity to bright surfaces. Comparison between DeltaVI (the difference between pairs of VIs) and the brightness of the different surface materials showed a high correlation in each case, which underlines the fact that the response of different VIs to bare surface variation is mainly related to the surface brightness.     

An evaluation of EO-1 hyperspectral Hyperion data for chlorophyll content and leaf area index estimation

Estimation of chlorophyll content and the leaf area index (LAI) using remote sensing technology is of particular use in precision agriculture. Wavelengths at the red edge of the vegetation spectrum (705 and 750 nm) were selected to test vegetation indices (VIs) using spaceborne hyperspectral Hyperion data for the estimation of chlorophyll content and LAI in different canopy structures. Thirty sites were selected for the ground data collection. The results show that chlorophyll content and LAI can be successfully estimated by VIs derived from Hyperion data with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 7.20–10.49 μg cm^?2 for chlorophyll content and 0.55–0.77 m² m^?2 for LAI. The special index derived from three bands provided the best estimation of the chlorophyll content (RMSE of 7.19 μg cm^?2 for the Modified Chlorophyll Absorption Ratio Index/Optimized Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (MCARI/OSAVI₇₀₅)) and LAI (RMSE of 0.55 m² m^?2 for a second form of the MCARI (MCARI2₇₀₅)). These results demonstrate the possibilities for analysing the variation in chlorophyll content and LAI using hyperspectral Hyperion data with bands from the red edge of the vegetation spectrum.     

Earth observation of vegetation status in the Sahelian and Sudanian West Africa: comparison of Terra MODIS and NOAA AVHRR satellite data

The first year of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data are compared with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data for derivation of biophysical variables in Senegal, West Africa. The dynamic range of the two MODIS vegetation indices (VIs)—the continuity vegetation index (CVI) and the enhanced vegetation index (EVI)—is generally much larger than for the NOAA AVHRR normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data, indicating the importance of the change in near-infrared wavelength configuration from the NOAA AVHRR sensor to the MODIS sensor. Senegal is characterized by a pronounced gradient in the vegetation density covering a range of agro-climatic zones from arid to humid and it is found that the MODIS CVI values saturate for high VI values while the EVI demonstrates improved sensitivity for high biomass. Compared to NOAA AVHRR the MODIS VIs generally correlate better to the MODIS fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR) absorbed by vegetation canopies and the leaf area index (LAI; the one-sided green leaf area per unit ground area). CVI is found to correlate better to both fAPAR and LAI than is the case for EVI because of the larger dynamic range of the CVI data. This suggests that the problem of background contamination on VIs from soil is not as severe in Senegal as has been found in other semi-arid African areas.     

Evaluation of hyperspectral indices for LAI estimation and discrimination of potato crop under different irrigation treatments

In this study, various hyperspectral indices were evaluated for estimation of leaf area index (LAI) and crop discrimination under different irrigation treatments. The study was conducted for potato crop using the spectral reflectance values measured by a hand‐held spectro‐radiometer. Three categories of hyperspectral indices, such as ratio/difference indices, multivariate indices and derivative based indices were computed. It was found that, among various band combinations for NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) and SAVI (soil adjusted vegetation index), the band combination of the 780～680, produced highest correlation coefficient with LAI. Among all the forms of LAI and VI empirical relationships, the power and exponential equations had highest R ² and F values. Analysis of variance showed that, hyperspectral indices were found to be more efficient than the LAI to detect the differences among crops under different irrigation treatments. The discriminant analysis produced a set of five most optimum bands to discriminate the crops under three irrigation treatments.     

Hyperspectral vegetation indices and novel algorithms for predicting green LAI of crop canopies: Modeling and validation in the context of precision agriculture

A growing number of studies have focused on evaluating spectral indices in terms of their sensitivity to vegetation biophysical parameters, as well as to external factors affecting canopy reflectance. In this context, leaf and canopy radiative transfer models are valuable for modeling and understanding the behavior of such indices. In the present work, PROSPECT and SAILH models have been used to simulate a wide range of crop canopy reflectances in an attempt to study the sensitivity of a set of vegetation indices to green leaf area index (LAI), and to modify some of them in order to enhance their responsivity to LAI variations. The aim of the paper was to present a method for minimizing the effect of leaf chlorophyll content on the prediction of green LAI, and to develop new algorithms that adequately predict the LAI of crop canopies. Analyses based on both simulated and real hyperspectral data were carried out to compare performances of existing vegetation indices (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index [NDVI], Renormalized Difference Vegetation Index [RDVI], Modified Simple Ratio [MSR], Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index [SAVI], Soil and Atmospherically Resistant Vegetation Index [SARVI], MSAVI, Triangular Vegetation Index [TVI], and Modified Chlorophyll Absorption Ratio Index [MCARI]) and to design new ones (MTVI1, MCARI1, MTVI2, and MCARI2) that are both less sensitive to chlorophyll content variations and linearly related to green LAI. Thorough analyses showed that the above existing vegetation indices were either sensitive to chlorophyll concentration changes or affected by saturation at high LAI levels. Conversely, two of the spectral indices developed as a part of this study, a modified triangular vegetation index (MTVI2) and a modified chlorophyll absorption ratio index (MCARI2), proved to be the best predictors of green LAI. Related predictive algorithms were tested on CASI (Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager) hyperspectral images and, then, validated using ground truth measurements. The latter were collected simultaneously with image acquisition for different crop types (soybean, corn, and wheat), at different growth stages, and under various fertilization treatments. Prediction power analysis of proposed algorithms based on MCARI2 and MTVI2 resulted in agreements between modeled and ground measurement of non-destructive LAI, with coefficients of determination (r²) being 0.98 for soybean, 0.89 for corn, and 0.74 for wheat. The corresponding RMSE for LAI were estimated at 0.28, 0.46, and 0.85, respectively.     

Development of a two-band enhanced vegetation index without a blue band

The enhanced vegetation index (EVI) was developed as a standard satellite vegetation product for the Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS). EVI provides improved sensitivity in high biomass regions while minimizing soil and atmosphere influences, however, is limited to sensor systems designed with a blue band, in addition to the red and near-infrared bands, making it difficult to generate long-term EVI time series as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) counterpart. The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate a 2-band EVI (EVI2), without a blue band, which has the best similarity with the 3-band EVI, particularly when atmospheric effects are insignificant and data quality is good. A linearity-adjustment factor β is proposed and coupled with the soil-adjustment factor L used in the soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI) to develop EVI2. A global land cover dataset of Terra MODIS data extracted over land community validation and FLUXNET test sites is used to develop the optimal parameter (L, β and G) values in EVI2 equation and achieve the best similarity between EVI and EVI2. The similarity between the two indices is evaluated and demonstrated with temporal profiles of vegetation dynamics at local and global scales. Our results demonstrate that the differences between EVI and EVI2 are insignificant (within ± 0.02) over a very large sample of snow/ice-free land cover types, phenologies, and scales when atmospheric influences are insignificant, enabling EVI2 as an acceptable and accurate substitute of EVI. EVI2 can be used for sensors without a blue band, such as the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), and may reveal different vegetation dynamics in comparison with the current AVHRR NDVI dataset. However, cross-sensor continuity relationships for EVI2 remain to be studied.     

基于BP神经网络的夏玉米多生育期叶面积指数反演研究

叶面积指数（Leaf Area Index,LAI）是生物地球化学循环中重要的植被结构参数。针对目前基于我国GF-1 WFV卫星影像的夏玉米多生育期LAI反演研究较少的问题,基于不同隐含层构建BP神经网络模型（BP1模型和BP2模型）,对比分析BP1模型、BP2模型和6种统计模型（NDVI、RVI、DVI、EVI、SAVI、ARVI）反演之间的精度差异,并根据实测数据绘制BP1模型和BP2模型的夏玉米多生育期LAI动态变化图。结果表明:LAI与6种常用的统计模型均有良好相关性,其中NDVI指数方程式回归模型拟合度最优;BP神经网络模型整体R ²略小于统计模型,而RMSE则小于统计模型,取得了与实测值差异更小的结果,统计模型与BP神经网络模型各有优劣之处;BP2模型在R ²和RMSE均优于BP1模型,能获得更为精确的反演值,BP2整体预测精度更高;基于BP神经网络模拟夏玉米生育期反演,LAI值呈现缓慢升高—快速增长—逐渐减小的S型变化过程,基本符合作物生长规律。该研究结合不同隐含层建立的BP神经网络模型,为GF-1卫星在作物叶面积指数多生育期反演的应用推广提供了方法支撑。     

Estimation of Grassland Aboveground Biomass Using Landsat 8 OLI Satellite Image in the Northern Hillside of Tianshan Mountain

The Landsat 8 OLI remote sensing data was used to obtain six kinds of commonly vegetation indices including NDVI,RVI,DVI,EVI,GNDVI and SAVI.Meanwhile,combining with the measured data of grassland in the research area,the research area was divided into two kinds of shady and sunny slope according to the slope.Then the biomass remote sensing estimation models of shady and sunny slope in Ziniquan Ranch were created by Statistical analysis method and biomass space inversion and verification was implemented.The results of correlation analysis showed that the selected vegetation indices were significantly correlated with pasture biomass and there was a significant difference between the correlation of the classified data and the non classified data by slope,in which NDVI was the highest and EVI was the lowest.The optimal inversion model of Ziniquan Ranch biomass was based on the two order polynomial model of SAVI with the accuracy 80%.By using this model reversion,the grassland average yield of Ziniquan Ranch in 2015 was 113 g/m²,which equaled to dry grass yield 41.85 g/m².The research shows that the slope direction is an important factor affecting the distribution of biomass.Using remote sensing data and ground measured biomass data and combining with the characteristics of the topography of shady and sunny slope of the research area,the biomass estimation model has higher accuracy,which could provide scientific basis for the reasonable estimation of grassland biomass and management of grassland grazing in the pastoral area.     

地形校正对叶面积指数遥感估算的影响

利用经过6S模型大气校正的地面反射率图像、数字地面高程数据以及改进的CIVCO地形校正模型,分别计算了褒河流域不同植被类型（阔叶林、针叶林和灌木林）的3类光谱植被指数（NDVI、SR和SAVI）,并建立了各个植被类型叶面积指数与同时相的各个植被指数的相关关系。结果表明,地形校正能有效地消除大部分的地形影响,显著地提高各植被指数与叶面积指数的相关关系;对于阴坡和阳坡来讲,阴坡较阳坡提高显著;对于不同的植被类型,针叶林和灌木较阔叶林提高较为显著;对于同一植被指数如SAVI,灌木提高较针叶林和阔叶林显著,说明地形校正对叶面积指数的遥感估算结果有很大的影响。因此在利用遥感数据定量估算叶面积指数时,尤其对于山区,不仅要进行地形校正,而且要针对不同的植被类型选择合适的植被指数进行估算。     

Annual Total Gross Primary Production Estimation based on Vegetation Indices Seasonal Variation Curve

For the estimation of annual Gross Primary Productivity(GPP),it is proposed an estimation method with simple parameters and small errors.By taking each type of vegetation in the area of Three-North Shelterbelt Program(TNSP) as the research subject,the MODIS vegetation indices were obtained,and the seasonal variation curve of vegetation indices were built.Then,the fitting relation between the integral of time series vegetation indices(ΣVIs) and GPP products of MODIS was established,so as to realize a simple GPP estimation method and study the applicable ΣVIs for estimating the GPP of all vegetation types.The results show that：(1) ΣVIs is suitable for estimating the annual total GPP in research area and significantly correlated with MODIS GPP at the confidence level of p<0.01;(2) ΣEVI2 is applicable to estimate the GPP of evergreen needleleaf forest,decidious needleleaf forest,decidious broadleaf forest,mixed forest,woody savannas,savannas,permanent wetlands,croplands,croplands/natural vegetation mosaic,while the effect of ΣNDVI for estimating the GPP of closed shrublands,open shrublands,grasslands,croplands,and barren or sparsely vegetated is superior to ΣEVI andΣEVI2;(3) Since the NDVI itself is saturated in the area of high Leaf Area Index(LAI),the error of estimating the GPP of high LAI vegetation type by ΣNDVI is larger,while using ΣEVI and ΣEVI2 to estimate them has better accuracy,and the limitation from blue band of EVI2 reduces compared with EVI,which can be applied to the GPP research of long time series better.     

Leaf Area Index Inversion of Summer Maize at Multiple Growth Stages based on BP Neural Network

Leaf Area Index (LAI) is an important vegetation structure parameter in biogeochemical cycling. In view of the lack of LAI inversion in the multiple growth period of summer maize based on GF-1 WFV satellite images in China, this study constructs a BP neural network model (BP1 model and BP2 model) based on different hidden layers, and compares and analyzes the accuracy of the inversion between the BP1 model, BP2 model and 6 statistical models (NDVI、RVI、DVI、EVI、SAVI、ARVI). Based on the measured data, BP1 model and BP2 model are used to map the LAI dynamic changes of summer maize. The results show that LAI has good correlation with 6 common statistical models, and the fitting degree of the NDVI exponential equation regression model is the best. The overallR ² of BP neural network model is slightly smaller than the statistical model, while RMSE is less than the statistical model, and the errors with the measured value is smaller than the statistical model. So both the statistical model and the BP neural network model have advantages and disadvantages. The BP2 model is superior to the BP1 model inR ² and RMSE, and can obtain more accurate inversion values, and the overall prediction accuracy of BP2 is higher. Based on the BP neural network simulation of summer maize growth period inversion, the LAI value presents a slow increase to the gradual decrease of S type change process, which is basically in line with the crop growth rules. The study combines with the BP neural network model established by different hidden layers to provide a method for the application of GF-1 satellite in the application of crop leaf area index multiple growth period inversion.     

Comparison between vegetation change analysis in Kenya based on AVHRR and SeaWiFS images

An assessment of the suitability of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) vegetation index to estimate land degradation in semi‐arid areas has been carried out, comparing its behaviour with that of vegetation indices based on Sea‐viewing Wide Field‐of‐view Sensor (SeaWiFS) images. Notwithstanding the importance of the classic Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) indicator, based on red–NIR channels, several studies have identified some limitations related to its use, such as its dependence on the atmospheric profile, saturation problems, non‐linearity in biophysical coupling with Leaf Area Index (LAI) and canopy background contamination. The relatively recent Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) overcomes these limits, using the information related to the blue channel and a soil adjustment factor. SeaWiFS data allow the computation of both vegetation indices. On the other hand, the NDVI based on AVHRR can be computed back in time to the 1980s, allowing a sufficient time span to obtain information on the desertification trend of the considered region (northern Kenya). In conclusion, taking advantage of both datasets, the accuracy of a change detection technique based on the classic NDVI has been confirmed as suitable for revealing any desertification trend.     

基于GF-1 WFV影像和机器学习算法的玉米叶面积指数估算

目的 叶面积指数（LAI）是重要的植被生物理化参数,对农作物长势和产量预测具有重要研究意义。基于物理模型和经验模型的LAI估算方法被认为是当前最常用的方法,但两种方法的估算效率和精度有限。近年来,机器学习算法在遥感监测领域广泛应用,算法具有描述非线性数据拟合、融合更多辅助信息的能力,为了评价机器学习算法在玉米LAI遥感估算中的适用性,本文分析比较了随机森林和BP神经网络算法估算玉米LAI的能力,并与传统经验模型进行了比较。方法 以河北省怀来县东花园镇为研究区,基于野外实测玉米LAI数据,结合同时期国产高分卫星（GF1-WFV影像）,首先分析了8种植被指数与LAI的相关性,进而采用保留交叉验证的方式将所有样本数据分为两部分,65%的数据作为模型训练集,35%作为验证集,重复随机分为3组,构建以8种植被指数为自变量,对应LAI值为因变量的RF模型、BP神经网络模型及传统经验模型。采用决定系数R²和均方根误差（RMSE）作为模型评价指标。结果 8种植被指数与LAI的相关性分析表明所有样本数据中,实测LAI值与各植被指数均在（P<0.01）水平下极显著相关,且相关系数均高于0.5;将3组不同样本数据在随机森林、BP神经网络算法中多次训练,并基于验证数据集进行估算精度检验,经验模型采用训练数据集建模,验证数据集检验,结果表明,RF模型表现出了较强的预测能力,LAI预测值与实测值R²分别为0.681、0.757、0.701,均高于BP模型（0.504、0.589、0.605）和经验模型（0.492、0.557、0.531）,对应RMSE分别为0.264、0.292、0.259;均低于BP模型（0.284、0.410、0.283）和经验模型（0.541、0.398、0.306）。结论 研究表明,RF算法能更好地进行玉米LAI遥感估算,为快速准确进行农作物LAI遥感监测提供了技术参考。     

Prediction of rice crop yield using MODIS EVI−LAI data in the Mekong Delta,Vietnam

Predicting rice crop yield at the regional scale is important for production estimates that ensure food security for a country. This study aimed to develop an approach for rice crop yield prediction in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and leaf area index (LAI). Data processing consisted of four main steps: (1) constructing time-series vegetation indices, (2) noise filtering of time-series data using the empirical mode decomposition (EMD), (3) establishment of crop yield models, and (4) model validation. The results indicated that the quadratic model using two variables (EVI and LAI) produced more accurate results than other models (i.e. linear, interaction, pure quadratic, and quadratic with a single variable). The highest correlation coefficients obtained at the ripening period for the spring–winter and autumn–summer crops were 0.70 and 0.74, respectively. The robustness of the established models was evaluated by comparisons between the predicted yields and crop yield statistics for 10 sampling districts in 2006 and 2007. The comparisons revealed satisfactory results for both years, especially for the spring–winter crop. In 2006, the root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean bias error (MBE) for the spring–winter crop were 10.18%, 8.44% and 0.9%, respectively, while the values for the autumn–summer crop were 17.65%, 14.06%, and 3.52%, respectively. In 2007, the spring–winter crop also yielded better results (RMSE = 10.56%, MAE = 9.14%, MBE = 3.68%) compared with the autumn–summer crop (RMSE = 17%, MAE = 12.69%, MBE = 2.31%). This study demonstrates the merit of using MODIS data for regional rice crop yield prediction in the Mekong Delta before the harvest period. The methods used in this study could be transferable to other regions around the world.     

Comparison of principal component inversion with VI-empirical approach for LAI estimation using simulated reflectance data

A simulated canopy reflectance dataset for a total of six channels in visible, near-infrared (NIR) and shortwave-infrared (SWIR) region, corresponding to Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) was generated using the PROSAIL (PROSPECT+SAIL) model and a range of Leaf Area Index (LAI), soil backgrounds, leaf chlorophyll, leaf inclination and viewing geometry inputs. This dataset was used to develop and evaluate approaches for LAI estimation, namely, standard two-band nonlinear empirical vegetation index (VI)–LAI formulation (using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index/simple ratio (NDVI/SR)) and a multi-band principal component inversion (PCI) approach. The analysis indicated that the multi-band PCI approach had a smaller rms error (RMSE=0.380) than the NDVI and SR approaches (RMSE=2.28, 0.88), for an independently generated test dataset.     

Validation of HJ-1 B charge-coupled device vegetation index products with spectral reflectance of Hyperion

To validate the HJ-1 B charge-coupled device (CCD) vegetation index (VI) products, spectral reflectance data from EO-1 Hyperion of a close date were used to simulate the band reflectance of the HJ-1 B CCD camera. Four vegetation indices (the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the ratio vegetation index (RVI), the soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI) and the enhanced vegetation index (EVI)) were computed from both simulated and actual HJ-1 B CCD band reflectance data. Comparisons between simulated and actual HJ-1 B CCD band reflectance data, as well as that between simulated and actual HJ-1 B CCD vegetation indices were implemented to validate the VI products of the HJ-1 B CCD camera. The correlation coefficients between simulated and actual HJ-1 B CCD band reflectance data were 0.836, 0.891, 0.912 and 0.923 for the blue, green, red and near infra-red bands, and the correlation coefficients between simulated and actual HJ-1 B CCD VIs were 0.943, 0.926, 0.939 and 0.933 for SAVI, RVI, NDVI and EVI. The standard deviation of differential images between actual and simulated HJ-1 B CCD VIs are 0.052, 0.527, 0.073 and 0.133. The results show that the VI products from the HJ-1 B CCD camera are consistent with the simulated VIs from Hyperion, which proves the reliability of HJ-1 B CCD VI products.