The validation of a model estimating the Leaf Area Index of grasslands in southern China
Chengming Sun A B , Zhengguo Sun B , Tao Liu A , Doudou Guo A , Shaojie Mu B , Hongfei Yang B , Weimin Ju C and Jianlong Li B D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Key Lab of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
B College of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China.
C International Institute for Earth System Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China.
D Corresponding author. Email: cmsun@yzu.edu.cn; jlli2008@nju.edu.cn
The Rangeland Journal 35(3) 245-250 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ12025
Submitted: 30 April 2012 Accepted: 3 May 2013 Published: 6 June 2013
Abstract
In order to estimate the leaf area index (LAI) over large areas in southern China, this paper analysed the relationships between normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the vegetation light transmittance and the extinction coefficient based on the use of moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer data. By using the improved Beer–Lambert Law, a model was constructed to estimate the LAI in the grassy mountains and slopes of southern China with NDVI as the independent variable. The model was validated with field measurement data from different locations and different years in the grassland mountains and slopes of southern China. The results showed that there was a good correlation between the simulated and observed LAI values, and the values of R2 achieved were high. The relative root mean squared error was between 0.109 and 0.12. This indicated that the model was reliable. The above results provided the theoretical basis for the effective management of the grassland resources in southern China and the effective estimation of grassland carbon sink.
Additional keywords: estimation model, grassland, leaf area index, MODIS, normalised difference vegetation index.
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