AAIR Project: Tasks 2.4 and 3.4 Leaf Area Index Estimation

Contact:

José Paúl / Mário Silvio Caetano

Centro Nacional de Informação Geográfica

Rua braamcamp, 82 - 1 Dto

1250 Lisboa

Portugal

E-mail: mario@ cnig.pt

Description:

This is a methodology to predict Leaf Area Index (LAI) from satellite images of Pinus pinaster plantations, at a regional scale.

Inputs

- Tree level leaf area.

- Plot level LAI and dendrometric parameters.

- Landsat5-TM satellite image.

Outputs

- LAI map for the pinus pinaster areas

- Functional classification of Pinus pinaster stands, based on the LAI, and others stand parameters such as percent of cover and stand basal area.

Method

Ground measurements will be statisticaly correlated with satellite images data to develop a model for LAI and stand dendrometric parameters estimation. Ground data gathering consists of three main steps: (1) construction of allometric equations - a set of trees are fell down and their dendrometric parameters correlated with their leaf area. (2) Aplication of allometric equations to estimate LAI at plot level.(3) Ceptometer measurements of the canopie transmitance are undertaken, in order to estimate the LAI in a more spedicious way.

Uses

- It might be used as an input layer for the knowledge based system.

- LAI can be correlated with the detectability of the understorey by satellite images.

- LAI values can be used to establish fuel models.