Sangam: A Confluence of Knowledge Streams

Landsat 8 Based Leaf Area Index Estimation in Loblolly Pine Plantations

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dc.contributor Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
dc.creator Blinn, Christine E.
dc.creator House, Matthew N.
dc.creator Wynne, Randolph H.
dc.creator Thomas, Valerie A.
dc.creator Fox, Thomas R.
dc.creator Sumnall, Matthew
dc.date 2019-03-18T12:28:50Z
dc.date 2019-03-18T12:28:50Z
dc.date 2019-03-02
dc.date 2019-03-15T13:55:09Z
dc.date.accessioned 2023-03-01T18:54:46Z
dc.date.available 2023-03-01T18:54:46Z
dc.identifier Blinn, C.E.; House, M.N.; Wynne, R.H.; Thomas, V.A.; Fox, T.R.; Sumnall, M. Landsat 8 Based Leaf Area Index Estimation in Loblolly Pine Plantations. Forests 2019, 10, 222.
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/10919/88471
dc.identifier https://doi.org/10.3390/f10030222
dc.identifier.uri http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/CUHPOERS/281866
dc.description Leaf area index (LAI) is an important biophysical parameter used to monitor, model, and manage loblolly pine plantations across the southeastern United States. Landsat provides forest scientists and managers the ability to obtain accurate and timely LAI estimates. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between loblolly pine LAI measured in situ (at both leaf area minimum and maximum through two growing seasons at two geographically disparate study areas) and vegetation indices calculated using data from Landsat 7 (ETM+) and Landsat 8 (OLI). Sub-objectives included examination of the impact of georegistration accuracy, comparison of top-of-atmosphere and surface reflectance, development of a new empirical model for the species and region, and comparison of the new empirical model with the current operational standard. Permanent plots for the collection of ground LAI measurements were established at two locations near Appomattox, Virginia and Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Each plot is thirty by thirty meters in size and is located at least thirty meters from a stand boundary. Plot LAI measurements were collected twice a year using the LI-COR LAI-2200 Plant Canopy Analyzer. Ground measurements were used as dependent variables in ordinary least squares regressions with ETM+ and OLI-derived vegetation indices. We conclude that accurately-located ground LAI estimates at minimum and maximum LAI in loblolly pine stands can be combined and modeled with Landsat-derived vegetation indices using surface reflectance, particularly simple ratio (SR) and normalized difference moisture index (NDMI), across sites and sensors. The best resulting model (LAI = −0.00212 + 0.3329SR) appears not to saturate through an LAI of 5 and is an improvement over the current operational standard for loblolly pine monitoring, modeling, and management in this ecologically and economically important region.
dc.description Published version
dc.format application/pdf
dc.format application/pdf
dc.language en
dc.publisher MDPI
dc.rights Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
dc.rights http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject remote sensing
dc.subject forestry
dc.subject phenology
dc.subject silviculture
dc.title Landsat 8 Based Leaf Area Index Estimation in Loblolly Pine Plantations
dc.title Forests
dc.type Article - Refereed
dc.type Text


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