scholarly journals An Interplay between Photons, Canopy Structure, and Recollision Probability: A Review of the Spectral Invariants Theory of 3D Canopy Radiative Transfer Processes

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weile Wang ◽  
Ramakrishna Nemani ◽  
Hirofumi Hashimoto ◽  
Sangram Ganguly ◽  
Dong Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Pair Correlation ◽  
Canopy Structure ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Optical Remote Sensing ◽  
Spectral Invariants ◽  
3D Information

Earth observations collected by remote sensors provide unique information to our ever-growing knowledge of the terrestrial biosphere. Yet, retrieving information from remote sensing data requires sophisticated processing and demands a better understanding of the underlying physics. This paper reviews research efforts that lead to the developments of the stochastic radiative transfer equation (RTE) and the spectral invariants theory. The former simplifies the characteristics of canopy structures with a pair-correlation function so that the 3D information can be succinctly packed into a 1D equation. The latter indicates that the interactions between photons and canopy elements converge to certain invariant patterns quantifiable by a few wavelength independent parameters, which satisfy the law of energy conservation. By revealing the connections between plant structural characteristics and photon recollision probability, these developments significantly advance our understanding of the transportation of radiation within vegetation canopies. They enable a novel physically-based algorithm to simulate the “hot-spot” phenomenon of canopy bidirectional reflectance while conserving energy, a challenge known to the classic radiative transfer models. Therefore, these theoretical developments have a far-reaching influence in optical remote sensing of the biosphere.

scholarly journals Influence of 3D Spruce Tree Representation on Accuracy of Airborne and Satellite Forest Reflectance Simulated in DART

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Růžena Janoutová ◽  
Lucie Homolová ◽  
Zbyněk Malenovský ◽  
Jan Hanuš ◽  
Nicolas Lauret ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Canopy Structure ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Turbid Medium ◽  
Canopy Reflectance ◽  
Simple Tree

Advances in high-performance computer resources and exploitation of high-density terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data allow for reconstruction of close-to-reality 3D forest scenes for use in canopy radiative transfer models. Consequently, our main objectives were (i) to reconstruct 3D representation of Norway spruce (Picea abies) trees by deriving distribution of woody and foliage elements from TLS and field structure data and (ii) to use the reconstructed 3D spruce representations for evaluation of the effects of canopy structure on forest reflectance simulated in the Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) model. Data for this study were combined from two spruce research sites located in the mountainous areas of the Czech Republic. The canopy structure effects on simulated top-of-canopy reflectance were evaluated for four scenarios (10 × 10 m scenes with 10 trees), ranging from geometrically simple to highly detailed architectures. First scenario A used predefined simple tree crown shapes filled with a turbid medium with simplified trunks and branches. Other three scenarios used the reconstructed 3D spruce representations with B detailed needle shoots transformed into turbid medium, C with simplified shoots retained as facets, and D with detailed needle shoots retained as facets D. For the first time, we demonstrated the capability of the DART model to simulate reflectance of complex coniferous forest scenes up to the level of a single needle (scenario D). Simulated bidirectional reflectance factors extracted for each scenario were compared with actual airborne hyperspectral and space-borne Sentinel-2 MSI reflectance data. Scenario A yielded the largest differences from the remote sensing observations, mainly in the visible and NIR regions, whereas scenarios B, C, and D produced similar results revealing a good agreement with the remote sensing data. When judging the computational requirements for reflectance simulations in DART, scenario B can be considered as most operational spruce forest representation, because the transformation of 3D shoots in turbid medium reduces considerably the simulation time and hardware requirements.

scholarly journals Plant ecophysiological processes in spectral profiles: perspective from a deciduous broadleaf forest

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hibiki M. Noda ◽  
Hiroyuki Muraoka ◽  
Kenlo Nishida Nasahara
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Optical Properties ◽  
Spectral Reflectance ◽  
Canopy Structure ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Optical Remote Sensing ◽  
Canopy Reflectance ◽  
Broadleaf Forest ◽  
Leaf Optical Properties ◽  
Deciduous Broadleaf Forest

AbstractThe need for progress in satellite remote sensing of terrestrial ecosystems is intensifying under climate change. Further progress in Earth observations of photosynthetic activity and primary production from local to global scales is fundamental to the analysis of the current status and changes in the photosynthetic productivity of terrestrial ecosystems. In this paper, we review plant ecophysiological processes affecting optical properties of the forest canopy which can be measured with optical remote sensing by Earth-observation satellites. Spectral reflectance measured by optical remote sensing is utilized to estimate the temporal and spatial variations in the canopy structure and primary productivity. Optical information reflects the physical characteristics of the targeted vegetation; to use this information efficiently, mechanistic understanding of the basic consequences of plant ecophysiological and optical properties is essential over broad scales, from single leaf to canopy and landscape. In theory, canopy spectral reflectance is regulated by leaf optical properties (reflectance and transmittance spectra) and canopy structure (geometrical distributions of leaf area and angle). In a deciduous broadleaf forest, our measurements and modeling analysis of leaf-level characteristics showed that seasonal changes in chlorophyll content and mesophyll structure of deciduous tree species lead to a seasonal change in leaf optical properties. The canopy reflectance spectrum of the deciduous forest also changes with season. In particular, canopy reflectance in the green region showed a unique pattern in the early growing season: green reflectance increased rapidly after leaf emergence and decreased rapidly after canopy closure. Our model simulation showed that the seasonal change in the leaf optical properties and leaf area index caused this pattern. Based on this understanding we discuss how we can gain ecophysiological information from satellite images at the landscape level. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of ecophysiological remote sensing by satellites.

scholarly journals An Improved Segmentation Method for Automatic Mapping of Cone Karst from Remote Sensing Data Based on DeepLab V3+ Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 441
Author(s):  
Han Fu ◽  
Bihong Fu ◽  
Pilong Shi
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Guizhou Province ◽  
Training Dataset ◽  
Optical Remote Sensing ◽  
Remote Sensing Images ◽  
Karst Landscape ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Training Samples ◽  
Input Module

The South China Karst, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) natural heritage site, is one of the world’s most spectacular examples of humid tropical to subtropical karst landscapes. The Libo cone karst in the southern Guizhou Province is considered as the world reference site for these types of karst, forming a distinctive and beautiful landscape. Geomorphic information and spatial distribution of cone karst is essential for conservation and management for Libo heritage site. In this study, a deep learning (DL) method based on DeepLab V3+ network was proposed to document the cone karst landscape in Libo by multi-source data, including optical remote sensing images and digital elevation model (DEM) data. The training samples were generated by using Landsat remote sensing images and their combination with satellite derived DEM data. Each group of training dataset contains 898 samples. The input module of DeepLab V3+ network was improved to accept four-channel input data, i.e., combination of Landsat RGB images and DEM data. Our results suggest that the mean intersection over union (MIoU) using the four-channel data as training samples by a new DL-based pixel-level image segmentation approach is the highest, which can reach 95.5%. The proposed method can accomplish automatic extraction of cone karst landscape by self-learning of deep neural network, and therefore it can also provide a powerful and automatic tool for documenting other type of geological landscapes worldwide.

scholarly journals Rapid Evaluation and Validation Method of Above Ground Forest Biomass Estimation Using Optical Remote Sensing in Tundi Reserved Forest Area, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Praveen Kumar ◽  
Akhouri P. Krishna ◽  
Thorkild M. Rasmussen ◽  
Mahendra K. Pal
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Forest Area ◽  
Relational Model ◽  
Biomass Estimation ◽  
Optical Remote Sensing ◽  
Ground Sample ◽  
Sensing Data

Optical remote sensing data are freely available on a global scale. However, the satellite image processing and analysis for quick, accurate, and precise forest above ground biomass (AGB) evaluation are still challenging and difficult. This paper is aimed to develop a novel method for precise, accurate, and quick evaluation of the forest AGB from optical remote sensing data. Typically, the ground forest AGB was calculated using an empirical model from ground data for biophysical parameters such as tree density, height, and diameter at breast height (DBH) collected from the field at different elevation strata. The ground fraction of vegetation cover (FVC) in each ground sample location was calculated. Then, the fraction of vegetation cover (FVC) from optical remote sensing imagery was calculated. In the first stage of method implementation, the relation model between the ground FVC and ground forest AGB was developed. In the second stage, the relational model was established between image FVC and ground FVC. Finally, both models were fused to derive the relational model between image FVC and forest AGB. The validation of the developed method was demonstrated utilizing Sentinel-2 imagery as test data and the Tundi reserved forest area located in the Dhanbad district of Jharkhand state in eastern India was used as the test site. The result from the developed model was ground validated and also compared with the result from a previously developed crown projected area (CPA)-based forest AGB estimation approach. The results from the developed approach demonstrated superior capabilities in precision compared to the CPA-based method. The average forest AGB estimation of the test site obtained by this approach revealed 463 tons per hectare, which matches the previous estimate from this test site.

scholarly journals Some Peculiarities of Arable Soil Organic Matter Detection Using Optical Remote Sensing Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2313
Author(s):  
Elena Prudnikova ◽  
Igor Savin
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Spectral Reflectance ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Optical Remote Sensing ◽  
Test Field ◽  
Sensing Data ◽  
Sentinel 2

Optical remote sensing only provides information about the very thin surface layer of soil. Rainfall splash alters soil surface properties and its spectral reflectance. We analyzed the impact of rainfall on the success of soil organic matter (SOM) content (% by mass) detection and mapping based on optical remote sensing data. The subject of the study was the arable soils of a test field located in the Tula region (Russia), their spectral reflectance, and Sentinel-2 data. Our research demonstrated that rainfall negatively affects the accuracy of SOM predictions based on Sentinel-2 data. Depending on the average precipitation per day, the R2cv of models varied from 0.67 to 0.72, RMSEcv from 0.64 to 1.1% and RPIQ from 1.4 to 2.3. The incorporation of information on the soil surface state in the model resulted in an increase in accuracy of SOM content detection based on Sentinel-2 data: the R2cv of the models increased up to 0.78 to 0.84, the RMSEcv decreased to 0.61 to 0.71%, and the RPIQ increased to 2.1 to 2.4. Further studies are necessary to identify how the SOM content and composition of the soil surface change under the influence of rainfall for other soils, and to determine the relationships between rainfall-induced SOM changes and soil surface spectral reflectance.

scholarly journals From Geometric-Optical Remote Sensing Modeling to Quantitative Remote Sensing Science—In Memory of Academician Xiaowen Li

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinhuo Liu ◽  
Guangjian Yan ◽  
Ziti Jiao ◽  
Qing Xiao ◽  
Jianguang Wen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Scale Effects ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Geometric Optic ◽  
Optical Remote Sensing ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Quantitative Remote Sensing ◽  
Vegetation Canopies ◽  
High Regard

The academician Xiaowen Li devoted much of his life to pursuing fundamental research in remote sensing. A pioneer in the geometric-optical modeling of vegetation canopies, his work is held in high regard by the international remote sensing community. He codeveloped the Li–Strahler geometric-optic model, and this paper was selected by a member of the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) milestone series. As a chief scientist, Xiaowen Li led a scientific team that made outstanding advances in bidirectional reflectance distribution modeling, directional thermal emission modeling, comprehensive experiments, and the understanding of spatial and temporal scale effects in remote sensing information, and of quantitative inversions utilizing remote sensing data. In addition to his broad research activities, he was noted for his humility and his dedication in making science more accessible for the general public. Here, the life and academic contributions of Xiaowen Li to the field of quantitative remote sensing science are briefly reviewed.

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