Evaluation of the MODIS LAI product using independent lidar-derived LAI: A case study in mixed conifer forest

Karen S. Humes; Andrew T. Hudak; Lee A. Vierling; Eric Delmelle; Jennifer L. R. Jensen

doi:10.1016/j.rse.2011.08.023

Treesearch

Evaluation of the MODIS LAI product using independent lidar-derived LAI: A case study in mixed conifer forest

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Karen S. Humes, Andrew T. Hudak, Lee A. Vierling, Eric Delmelle, Jennifer L. R. Jensen

Year:

2011

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2011.08.023

Source:

Remote Sensing of Environment. 115: 3625-3639.

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Abstract

This study presents an alternative assessment of the MODIS LAI product for a 58,000 ha evergreen needleleaf forest located in the western Rocky Mountain range in northern Idaho by using lidar data to model (R2=0.86, RMSE=0.76) and map LAI at higher resolution across a large number of MODIS pixels in their entirety. Moderate resolution (30 m) lidar-based LAI estimates were aggregated to the resolution of the 1-km MODIS LAI product and compared to temporally-coincident MODIS retrievals. Differences in the MODIS and lidar-derived values of LAI were grouped and analyzed by several different factors, including MODIS retrieval algorithm, sun/sensor geometry, and sub-pixel heterogeneity in both vegetation and terrain characteristics. Of particular interest is the disparity in the results when MODIS LAI was analyzed according to algorithm retrieval class. We observed relatively good agreement between lidar-derived and MODIS LAI values for pixels retrieved with the main RT algorithm without saturation for LAI LAI

Keywords

leaf area index, LAI, lidar, MODIS, sub-pixel, vegetation structure, conifer, evergreen needleleaf

Citation

Jensen, Jennifer L. R.; Humes, Karen S.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Vierling, Lee A.; Delmelle, Eric. 2011. Evaluation of the MODIS LAI product using independent lidar-derived LAI: A case study in mixed conifer forest. Remote Sensing of Environment. 115: 3625-3639.