Abstract
The relationship was analysed between the vegetation cover factor expressed as a percentage and the area-averaged normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). On selected days the NDVI was calculated from channel 1 and 2 reflectance data of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA—11) satellite's advanced very high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) for five test areas under agricultural and forestry use. No ground-based reflectance measurements could be made for validation of these data. Therefore the land surface NDVI, which varied with time, and percentage vegetation cover of the test areas were deduced from time-independent but site-specific statistical land use data updated by temporal phenological observations, and from surface-specific reflectance curves published in the literature. The result indicated that the area-averaged NDVI, as obtained from the NOAA—11 radiometer, was less than the value calculated from the land surface NDVI. After correction to reduce the offset of the data, the values would be a suitable indicator of the fraction of vegetation cover.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Blümel K, Bolle H-J, Eckardt M, Lesch L, Tonn W (1988) Der Vegetationsindex für Mitteleuropa 1983–1985 (The vegetation index for Central Europe 1983–1985). Institut für Meteorologie, Berlin
Bolle H-J, Katergiannakis U, Tonn W (1991) Der Vegetationsindex 1989 für Mitteleuropa anhand zweier ausgewählter Beispiele (The vegetation index of 1989 for Central Europe on the basis of two selected examples). Wetter und Leben 43:115–135
Bowker DE, Davis RE, Jones WT, Myrick DI, Stacy K (1985) Spectral reflectances of natural targets for use in remote sensing studies. NASA Reference Publication 1139, Washington
Buschmann C, Stützel M (1993) Private communication
Carlson TN, Perry EM, Schmugge TJ (1990) Remote estimation of soil moisture availability and fractional vegetation cover for agricultural fields. Agric Forest Meteorol 52:45–69
Deardorff JW (1978) Efficient prediction of ground surface temperature and moisture, with an inclusion of a layer of vegetation. J Geophys Res 83 C4:1889–1903
Hansing O, Wittich K-P (1993) Verifikation des aus NOAA-11-Satellitenbilddaten abgeleiteten Vegetationsindexes für fünf Regionen Westdeutschlands (Validation of the vegetation index deduced from NOAA-11 satellite data for five regions in western Germany). DWD-intern 56, Deutscher Wetterdienst, Offenbach
Holben BN (1986) Characteristics of maximum-value composite images from temporal AVHRR data. Int J Remote Sensing 7:1417–1434
Huss J (1985) Luftbildmessung und Fernerkundung in der Forst-wirtschaft (Aerial photographs and remote sensing in forestry). Wichmann, Karlsruhe
Justice CO, Townshend JRG, Holben BN, Tucker CJ (1985) Analysis of the phenology of global vegetation using meteorological satellite data. Int J Remote Sensing 6:1271–1318
Kadro A (1981) Untersuchung der spektralen Reflexionseigenschaften verschiedener Vegetationsbestände (Study of the spectral reflectivities of different crops). PhD Thesis, University of Freiburg
Kustas WP, Schmugge TJ, Humes KS, Jackson TJ, Parry R, Weltz MA, Moran MS (1993) Relationships between evaporative fraction and remotely sensed vegetation index and microwave brightness temperature for semiarid rangelands. J Appl Meteorol 32:1781–1790
Manzi AO, Planton S (1994) Implementation of the ISBA parametrization scheme for land surface processes in a GCM — an annual cycle experiment. J Hydrol 155:353–387
Myneni RB, Asrar G, Tanre D, Choudhury BJ (1992) Remote sensing of solar radiation absorbed and reflected by vegetated land surfaces. IEEE Trans Geosci Remote Sensing 30:302–314
Ormsby JP, Choudhury BJ, Owe M (1987) Vegetation spatial variability and its effect on vegetation indices. Int J Remote Sensing 8:1301–1306
Phulpin T, Noilhan J, Stoll M (1990) Parameters estimates of a soilvegetation model using AVHRR data. Proceedings of the 4th AVHRR data users meeting, Rothenburg, Germany, 5–8 Sept. 1989. EUMETSAT, Darmstadt, EUM P 06, pp 125–129
Sellers PJ (1985) Canopy reflectance, photosynthesis and transpiration. Int J Remote Sensing 6:1335–1372
Sellers PJ (1987) Canopy reflectance, photosynthesis and transpiration. II. The role of biophysics in the linearity of their interdependence. Remote Sensing Environ 21:143–183
Sellers PJ, Berry JA, Collatz GJ, Field CB, Hall FG (1992) Canopy reflectance, photosynthesis and transpiration. III. A reanalysis using improved leaf models and a new canopy integration scheme. Remote Sensing Environ 42:187–216
Szasz G (1986) Die Bedeutung der Fernerkundung in der groβräumigen phänologischen Betrachtung (The significance of remote sensing in the phenological observation of a large area). Sonderheft zum Internationalen Phänologie-Symposium an der Universität für Bodenkultur, Wien, 17–20 Sept. 1986. Arboreta Phaenologica 31, pp 111–119
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wittich, KP., Hansing, O. Area-averaged vegetative cover fraction estimated from satellite data. Int J Biometeorol 38, 209–215 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01245391
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01245391