Quantitative remote sensing of vegetation covers
Abstract
In the temperate zone most of land surface is covered with vegetation. Information about the structure of vegetation canopies is relevant for a number of climate, environmental and carbon cycling applications. Carbon fluxes between land and the atmosphere are an order of magnitude larger than the CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. Due to the drastic difference in the reflectance of vegetation and bare soil, vegetation cover drives the energy budget of the ground surface. The photosynthesis and evaporation depend on the amount of photosynthetic biomass. Vegetation gross primary production is a key component between the biosphere and atmosphere carbon fluxes. Evaluation of the role of terrestrial ecosystems in the carbon budget can improve our understanding of the feedbacks between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere in the context of global change and facilitate climate-policy decisions. The project will advance remote sensing and other fields of science where remote sensing is needed.