Evaluation of the Sensitivity of SMOS L-VOD to Forest Above-Ground Biomass at Global Scale
The present study evaluates the L band Vegetation Optical Depth (L-VOD) derived from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite to monitor Above Ground Biomass (AGB) at a global scale. Although SMOS L-VOD has been shown to be a good proxy for AGB in Africa and Tropics, little is known abo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/9/1450 |
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| author | Arnaud Mialon Nemesio J. Rodríguez-Fernández Maurizio Santoro Sassan Saatchi Stéphane Mermoz Emma Bousquet Yann H. Kerr |
| author_facet | Arnaud Mialon Nemesio J. Rodríguez-Fernández Maurizio Santoro Sassan Saatchi Stéphane Mermoz Emma Bousquet Yann H. Kerr |
| author_sort | Arnaud Mialon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present study evaluates the L band Vegetation Optical Depth (L-VOD) derived from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite to monitor Above Ground Biomass (AGB) at a global scale. Although SMOS L-VOD has been shown to be a good proxy for AGB in Africa and Tropics, little is known about this relationship at large scale. In this study, we further examine this relationship at a global scale using the latest AGB maps from Saatchi et al. and GlobBiomass computed using data acquired during the SMOS period. We show that at a global scale the L-VOD from SMOS is well-correlated with the AGB estimates from Saatchi et al. and GlobBiomass with the Pearson’s correlation coefficients (R) of 0.91 and 0.94 respectively. Although AGB estimates in Africa and the Tropics are well-captured by SMOS L-VOD (R > 0.9), the relationship is less straightforward for the dense forests over the northern latitudes (R = 0.32 and 0.69 with Saatchi et al. and GlobBiomass respectively). This paper gives strong evidence in support of the sensitivity of SMOS L-VOD to AGB estimates at a globale scale, providing an interesting alternative and complement to exisiting sensors for monitoring biomass evolution. These findings can further facilitate research on biomass now that SMOS is providing more than 10 years of data. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:02:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c4148ff4321f48a4a85aee64d7dffae2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:02:44Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-c4148ff4321f48a4a85aee64d7dffae22023-11-19T23:26:42ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922020-05-01129145010.3390/rs12091450Evaluation of the Sensitivity of SMOS L-VOD to Forest Above-Ground Biomass at Global ScaleArnaud Mialon0Nemesio J. Rodríguez-Fernández1Maurizio Santoro2Sassan Saatchi3Stéphane Mermoz4Emma Bousquet5Yann H. Kerr6CESBIO Centre d’Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère Université de Toulouse, CNES/CNRS/INRAE/IRD/UPS, 18 av. Edouard Belin, bpi 2801, 31401 CEDEX 9 Toulouse, FranceCESBIO Centre d’Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère Université de Toulouse, CNES/CNRS/INRAE/IRD/UPS, 18 av. Edouard Belin, bpi 2801, 31401 CEDEX 9 Toulouse, FranceGamma Remote Sensing, Worbstrasse 225, 3073 Gumligen, SwitzerlandJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USACESBIO Centre d’Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère Université de Toulouse, CNES/CNRS/INRAE/IRD/UPS, 18 av. Edouard Belin, bpi 2801, 31401 CEDEX 9 Toulouse, FranceCESBIO Centre d’Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère Université de Toulouse, CNES/CNRS/INRAE/IRD/UPS, 18 av. Edouard Belin, bpi 2801, 31401 CEDEX 9 Toulouse, FranceCESBIO Centre d’Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère Université de Toulouse, CNES/CNRS/INRAE/IRD/UPS, 18 av. Edouard Belin, bpi 2801, 31401 CEDEX 9 Toulouse, FranceThe present study evaluates the L band Vegetation Optical Depth (L-VOD) derived from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite to monitor Above Ground Biomass (AGB) at a global scale. Although SMOS L-VOD has been shown to be a good proxy for AGB in Africa and Tropics, little is known about this relationship at large scale. In this study, we further examine this relationship at a global scale using the latest AGB maps from Saatchi et al. and GlobBiomass computed using data acquired during the SMOS period. We show that at a global scale the L-VOD from SMOS is well-correlated with the AGB estimates from Saatchi et al. and GlobBiomass with the Pearson’s correlation coefficients (R) of 0.91 and 0.94 respectively. Although AGB estimates in Africa and the Tropics are well-captured by SMOS L-VOD (R > 0.9), the relationship is less straightforward for the dense forests over the northern latitudes (R = 0.32 and 0.69 with Saatchi et al. and GlobBiomass respectively). This paper gives strong evidence in support of the sensitivity of SMOS L-VOD to AGB estimates at a globale scale, providing an interesting alternative and complement to exisiting sensors for monitoring biomass evolution. These findings can further facilitate research on biomass now that SMOS is providing more than 10 years of data.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/9/1450L-VODAGB (Above Ground Biomass)SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) |
| spellingShingle | Arnaud Mialon Nemesio J. Rodríguez-Fernández Maurizio Santoro Sassan Saatchi Stéphane Mermoz Emma Bousquet Yann H. Kerr Evaluation of the Sensitivity of SMOS L-VOD to Forest Above-Ground Biomass at Global Scale Remote Sensing L-VOD AGB (Above Ground Biomass) SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) |
| title | Evaluation of the Sensitivity of SMOS L-VOD to Forest Above-Ground Biomass at Global Scale |
| title_full | Evaluation of the Sensitivity of SMOS L-VOD to Forest Above-Ground Biomass at Global Scale |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of the Sensitivity of SMOS L-VOD to Forest Above-Ground Biomass at Global Scale |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of the Sensitivity of SMOS L-VOD to Forest Above-Ground Biomass at Global Scale |
| title_short | Evaluation of the Sensitivity of SMOS L-VOD to Forest Above-Ground Biomass at Global Scale |
| title_sort | evaluation of the sensitivity of smos l vod to forest above ground biomass at global scale |
| topic | L-VOD AGB (Above Ground Biomass) SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/9/1450 |
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