Leaf area index mapping with optical methods and allometric models in SMEAR flux tower footprint at Järvselja, Estonia

Leaf area index (LAI) characterizes the amount of photosynthetically active tissue in plant canopies. LAI is one of the key factors determining ecosystem net primary production and gas and energy exchange between the canopy and the atmosphere. The aim of the present study was to test different metho...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mõistus Marta, Lang Mait
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2015-12-01
Series:Metsanduslikud Uurimused
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/fsmu-2015-0010
_version_ 1818744643587670016
author Mõistus Marta
Lang Mait
author_facet Mõistus Marta
Lang Mait
author_sort Mõistus Marta
collection DOAJ
description Leaf area index (LAI) characterizes the amount of photosynthetically active tissue in plant canopies. LAI is one of the key factors determining ecosystem net primary production and gas and energy exchange between the canopy and the atmosphere. The aim of the present study was to test different methods for LAI and effective plant area index (PAIe) estimation in mixed hemiboreal forests in Järvselja SMEAR Estonia (Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations) flux tower footprint. We used digital hemispherical images from sample plots, forest management inventory data, allometric foliage mass models, airborne discrete-return recording laser scanner (ALS) data and multispectral satellite images. The free ware program HemiSpherical Project Manager (HSP) was used to calculate canopy gap fraction from digital hemispherical photographs taken in 25 sample plots. PAIe was calculated from the gap fraction for up-scaling based on ALS point cloud metrics. The all ALS pulse returns-based canopy transmission was found to be the most suitable lidar metric to estimate PAIe in Järvselja forests. The 95-percentile (H95) of lidar point cloud height distribution correlates very well with allometric regression models based LAI and in birch stands the relationship was fitted with 0.7 m2 m−2 residual error. However, the relationship was specific to each allometric foliage mass model and systematic discrepancies were detected at large LAI values between the models. Relationships between the spectral reflectance and allometric LAI were not good enough to be used for LAI mapping. Therefore, airborne laser scanning data-based PAIe map was created for areas near SMEAR tower. We recommend to establish a network of permanent sample plots for forest growth and gap fraction measurements into the flux footprint of SMEAR Estonia flux tower in Järvselja to provide consistent up to date data for interpretation of the flux measurements.
first_indexed 2024-12-18T02:47:34Z
format Article
id doaj.art-a45a08e0a5d44655adbb5d326d10c22a
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1736-8723
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-18T02:47:34Z
publishDate 2015-12-01
publisher Sciendo
record_format Article
series Metsanduslikud Uurimused
spelling doaj.art-a45a08e0a5d44655adbb5d326d10c22a2022-12-21T21:23:31ZengSciendoMetsanduslikud Uurimused1736-87232015-12-01631859910.1515/fsmu-2015-0010Leaf area index mapping with optical methods and allometric models in SMEAR flux tower footprint at Järvselja, EstoniaMõistus Marta0Lang MaitTartu Observatory, 61602 Tõravere, Tartumaa, EstoniaLeaf area index (LAI) characterizes the amount of photosynthetically active tissue in plant canopies. LAI is one of the key factors determining ecosystem net primary production and gas and energy exchange between the canopy and the atmosphere. The aim of the present study was to test different methods for LAI and effective plant area index (PAIe) estimation in mixed hemiboreal forests in Järvselja SMEAR Estonia (Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations) flux tower footprint. We used digital hemispherical images from sample plots, forest management inventory data, allometric foliage mass models, airborne discrete-return recording laser scanner (ALS) data and multispectral satellite images. The free ware program HemiSpherical Project Manager (HSP) was used to calculate canopy gap fraction from digital hemispherical photographs taken in 25 sample plots. PAIe was calculated from the gap fraction for up-scaling based on ALS point cloud metrics. The all ALS pulse returns-based canopy transmission was found to be the most suitable lidar metric to estimate PAIe in Järvselja forests. The 95-percentile (H95) of lidar point cloud height distribution correlates very well with allometric regression models based LAI and in birch stands the relationship was fitted with 0.7 m2 m−2 residual error. However, the relationship was specific to each allometric foliage mass model and systematic discrepancies were detected at large LAI values between the models. Relationships between the spectral reflectance and allometric LAI were not good enough to be used for LAI mapping. Therefore, airborne laser scanning data-based PAIe map was created for areas near SMEAR tower. We recommend to establish a network of permanent sample plots for forest growth and gap fraction measurements into the flux footprint of SMEAR Estonia flux tower in Järvselja to provide consistent up to date data for interpretation of the flux measurements.https://doi.org/10.1515/fsmu-2015-0010leaf area indexairborne lidarhemispherical imagesmultispectral satellite imagessmear
spellingShingle Mõistus Marta
Lang Mait
Leaf area index mapping with optical methods and allometric models in SMEAR flux tower footprint at Järvselja, Estonia
Metsanduslikud Uurimused
leaf area index
airborne lidar
hemispherical images
multispectral satellite images
smear
title Leaf area index mapping with optical methods and allometric models in SMEAR flux tower footprint at Järvselja, Estonia
title_full Leaf area index mapping with optical methods and allometric models in SMEAR flux tower footprint at Järvselja, Estonia
title_fullStr Leaf area index mapping with optical methods and allometric models in SMEAR flux tower footprint at Järvselja, Estonia
title_full_unstemmed Leaf area index mapping with optical methods and allometric models in SMEAR flux tower footprint at Järvselja, Estonia
title_short Leaf area index mapping with optical methods and allometric models in SMEAR flux tower footprint at Järvselja, Estonia
title_sort leaf area index mapping with optical methods and allometric models in smear flux tower footprint at jarvselja estonia
topic leaf area index
airborne lidar
hemispherical images
multispectral satellite images
smear
url https://doi.org/10.1515/fsmu-2015-0010
work_keys_str_mv AT moistusmarta leafareaindexmappingwithopticalmethodsandallometricmodelsinsmearfluxtowerfootprintatjarvseljaestonia
AT langmait leafareaindexmappingwithopticalmethodsandallometricmodelsinsmearfluxtowerfootprintatjarvseljaestonia