Retrieval of canopy height using moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data

TY - JOUR

T1 - Retrieval of canopy height using moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data

AU - Wang, Zhuosen

AU - Schaaf, Crystal B.

AU - Lewis, Philip

AU - Knyazikhin, Yuri

AU - Schull, Mitchell A.

AU - Strahler, Alan H.

AU - Yao, Tian

AU - Myneni, Ranga B.

AU - Chopping, Mark J.

AU - Blair, Bryan J.

PY - 2011/6/15

Y1 - 2011/6/15

N2 - In this study we use the 500 m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) product to develop multivariate linear regression models that estimate canopy heights over study sites at Howland Forest, Maine, Harvard Forest, Massachusetts and La Selva Forest, Costa Rica using (1) directional escape probabilities that are spectrally independent and (2) the directional spectral reflectances used to derive the directional escape probabilities. These measures of canopy architecture are compared with canopy height information retrieved from the airborne Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS). Both the escape probability and the directional reflectance approaches achieve good results, with correlation coefficients in the range 0.54-0.82, although escape probability results are usually slightly better. This suggests that MODIS 500 m BRDF data can be used to extrapolate canopy heights observed by widely-spaced satellite LIDAR swaths to larger areas, thus providing wide-area coverage of canopy height.

AB - In this study we use the 500 m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) product to develop multivariate linear regression models that estimate canopy heights over study sites at Howland Forest, Maine, Harvard Forest, Massachusetts and La Selva Forest, Costa Rica using (1) directional escape probabilities that are spectrally independent and (2) the directional spectral reflectances used to derive the directional escape probabilities. These measures of canopy architecture are compared with canopy height information retrieved from the airborne Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS). Both the escape probability and the directional reflectance approaches achieve good results, with correlation coefficients in the range 0.54-0.82, although escape probability results are usually slightly better. This suggests that MODIS 500 m BRDF data can be used to extrapolate canopy heights observed by widely-spaced satellite LIDAR swaths to larger areas, thus providing wide-area coverage of canopy height.

KW - Biomass

KW - Canopy height

KW - Forest structure

KW - LVIS

KW - La Selva Forest

KW - MODIS BRDF/Albedo product

KW - New England forests

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79953210338&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.rse.2011.02.010

DO - 10.1016/j.rse.2011.02.010

M3 - Article

SN - 0034-4257

VL - 115

SP - 1595

EP - 1601

JO - Remote Sensing of Environment

JF - Remote Sensing of Environment

IS - 6

ER -