scholarly journals A Global Sensitivity Analysis of Commonly Used Satellite-Derived Vegetation Indices for Homogeneous Canopies Based on Model Simulation and Random Forest Learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 2547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siheng Wang ◽  
Dong Yang ◽  
Zhen Li ◽  
Liangyun Liu ◽  
Changping Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Random Forest ◽  
Global Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Broad Band ◽  
Influential Factor ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Global Sensitivity

Remote sensing (RS) provides operational monitoring of terrestrial vegetation. For optical RS, vegetation information is generally derived from surface reflectance (ρ). More generally, vegetation indices (VIs) are built on the basis of ρ as proxies for vegetation traits. At canopy level, ρ can be affected by a variety of factors, including leaf constituents, canopy structure, background reflectivity, and sun-sensor geometry. Consequently, VIs are mixtures of different information. In this study, a global sensitivity analysis (GSA) is made for several commonly used satellite-derived VIs in order to better understand the application of these VIs at large scales. The sensitivities of VIs to different parameters are analyzed on the basis of PROSPECT-SAIL (PROSAIL) radiative transfer model simulations, which apply for homogeneous canopies, and random forest (RF) learning. Specifically, combined factors such as canopy chlorophyll content (CCC) and canopy water content (CWC) are introduced in the RF-based GSA. We find that for most VIs, the leaf area index is the most influential factor, while the broad-band sensor-derived enhanced VI (EVI) exhibits a strong sensitivity to CCC, and the universal normalized VI (UNVI) is sensitive to CWC. The potential and uncertainty for the application of all the considered VIs are analyzed according to the GSA results. The results can help to improve the use of VIs in different contexts, and the RF-based GSA method can be further applied in more sophisticated situations.

scholarly journals VIS-NIR, Red-Edge and NIR-Shoulder Based Normalized Vegetation Indices Response to Co-Varying Leaf and Canopy Structural Traits in Heterogeneous Grasslands

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 2254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafiz Ali Imran ◽  
Damiano Gianelle ◽  
Duccio Rocchini ◽  
Michele Dalponte ◽  
M. Pilar Martín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Sharp Change ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Red Edge ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

Red-edge (RE) spectral vegetation indices (SVIs)—combining bands on the sharp change region between near infrared (NIR) and visible (VIS) bands—alongside with SVIs solely based on NIR-shoulder bands (wavelengths 750–900 nm) have been shown to perform well in estimating leaf area index (LAI) from proximal and remote sensors. In this work, we used RE and NIR-shoulder SVIs to assess the full potential of bands provided by Sentinel-2 (S-2) and Sentinel-3 (S-3) sensors at both temporal and spatial scales for grassland LAI estimations. Ground temporal and spatial observations of hyperspectral reflectance and LAI were carried out at two grassland sites (Monte Bondone, Italy, and Neustift, Austria). A strong correlation (R2 > 0.8) was observed between grassland LAI and both RE and NIR-shoulder SVIs on a temporal basis, but not on a spatial basis. Using the PROSAIL Radiative Transfer Model (RTM), we demonstrated that grassland structural heterogeneity strongly affects the ability to retrieve LAI, with high uncertainties due to structural and biochemical PTs co-variation. The RENDVI783.740 SVI was the least affected by traits co-variation, and more studies are needed to confirm its potential for heterogeneous grasslands LAI monitoring using S-2, S-3, or Gaofen-5 (GF-5) and PRISMA bands.

scholarly journals How to perform global sensitivity analysis of a catchment-scale, distributed pesticide transfer model? Application to the PESHMELBA model

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilie Rouzies ◽  
Claire Lauvernet ◽  
Bruno Sudret ◽  
Arthur Vidard
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Global Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Sobol Indices ◽  
Global Sensitivity ◽  
Sensitivity Indices ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Pesticide transfers in agricultural catchments are responsible for diffuse but major risks to water quality. Spatialized pesticide transfer models are useful tools to assess the impact of the structure of the landscape on water quality. Before considering using these tools in operational contexts, quantifying their uncertainties is a preliminary necessary step. In this study, we explored how global sensitivity analysis can be applied to the recent PESHMELBA pesticide transfer model to quantify uncertainties on transfer simulations. We set up a virtual catchment based on a real one and we compared different approaches for sensitivity analysis that could handle the specificities of the model: high number of input parameters, limited size of sample due to computational cost and spatialized output. We compared Sobol' indices obtained from Polynomial Chaos Expansion, HSIC dependence measures and feature importance measures obtained from Random Forest surrogate model. Results showed the consistency of the different methods and they highlighted the relevance of Sobol' indices to capture interactions between parameters. Sensitivity indices were first computed for each landscape element (site sensitivity indices). Second, we proposed to aggregate them at the hillslope and the catchment scale in order to get a summary of the model sensitivity and a valuable insight into the model hydrodynamical behaviour. The methodology proposed in this paper may be extended to other modular and distributed hydrological models as there has been a growing interest in these methods in recent years.

scholarly journals Global Sensitivity Analysis of Leaf-Canopy-Atmosphere RTMs: Implications for Biophysical Variables Retrieval from Top-of-Atmosphere Radiance Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 1923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jochem Verrelst ◽  
Jorge Vicent ◽  
Juan Pablo Rivera-Caicedo ◽  
Maria Lumbierres ◽  
Pablo Morcillo-Pallarés ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Global Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Atmospheric Correction ◽  
Total Contribution ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Global Sensitivity ◽  
Radiance Data ◽  
Leaf Canopy

Knowledge of key variables driving the top of the atmosphere (TOA) radiance over a vegetated surface is an important step to derive biophysical variables from TOA radiance data, e.g., as observed by an optical satellite. Coupled leaf-canopy-atmosphere Radiative Transfer Models (RTMs) allow linking vegetation variables directly to the at-sensor TOA radiance measured. Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) of RTMs enables the computation of the total contribution of each input variable to the output variance. We determined the impacts of the leaf-canopy-atmosphere variables into TOA radiance using the GSA to gain insights into retrievable variables. The leaf and canopy RTM PROSAIL was coupled with the atmospheric RTM MODTRAN5. Because of MODTRAN’s computational burden and GSA’s demand for many simulations, we first developed a surrogate statistical learning model, i.e., an emulator, that allows approximating RTM outputs through a machine learning algorithm with low computation time. A Gaussian process regression (GPR) emulator was used to reproduce lookup tables of TOA radiance as a function of 12 input variables with relative errors of 2.4%. GSA total sensitivity results quantified the driving variables of emulated TOA radiance along the 400–2500 nm spectral range at 15 cm − 1 (between 0.3–9 nm); overall, the vegetation variables play a more dominant role than atmospheric variables. This suggests the possibility to retrieve biophysical variables directly from at-sensor TOA radiance data. Particularly promising are leaf chlorophyll content, leaf water thickness and leaf area index, as these variables are the most important drivers in governing TOA radiance outside the water absorption regions. A software framework was developed to facilitate the development of retrieval models from at-sensor TOA radiance data. As a proof of concept, maps of these biophysical variables have been generated for both TOA (L1C) and bottom-of-atmosphere (L2A) Sentinel-2 data by means of a hybrid retrieval scheme, i.e., training GPR retrieval algorithms using the RTM simulations. Obtained maps from L1C vs L2A data are consistent, suggesting that vegetation properties can be directly retrieved from TOA radiance data given a cloud-free sky, thus without the need of an atmospheric correction.

scholarly journals Global Sensitivity Analysis of the SCOPE Model in Sentinel-3 Bands: Thermal Domain Focus

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 2424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Egor Prikaziuk ◽  
Christiaan van der Tol
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Land Surface Temperature ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Global Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Global Sensitivity ◽  
Scope Model

Sentinel-3 satellite has provided simultaneous observations in the optical (visible, near infrared (NIR), shortwave infrared (SWIR)) and thermal infrared (TIR) domains since 2016, with a revisit time of 1–2 days. The high temporal resolution and spectral coverage make the data of this mission attractive for vegetation monitoring. This study explores the possibilities of using the Soil Canopy Observation, Photochemistry and Energy fluxes (SCOPE) model together with Sentinel-3 to exploit the two sensors onboard of Sentinel-3 (the ocean and land color instrument (OLCI) and sea and land surface temperature radiometer (SLSTR)) in synergy. Sobol’ variance based global sensitivity analysis (GSA) of top of atmosphere (TOA) radiance produced with a coupled SCOPE-6S model was conducted for optical bands of OLCI and SLSTR, while another GSA of SCOPE was conducted for the land surface temperature (LST) product of SLSTR. The results show that in addition to ESA level-2 Sentinel-3 products, SCOPE is able to retrieve leaf area index (LAI), leaf chlorophyll content (Cab), leaf water content (Cw), leaf senescent material (Cs), leaf inclination distribution (LAD). Leaf dry matter content (Cdm) and soil brightness, despite being important, were not confidently retrieved in some cases. GSA of LST in TIR domain showed that plant biochemical parameters—maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax) and stomata conductance-photosynthesis slope (Ball-Berry m)—can be constrained if prior information on near-surface weather conditions is available. We conclude that the combination of optical and thermal domains facilitates the constraint of the land surface energy balance using SCOPE.

scholarly journals Global Sensitivity Analysis and Calibration by Differential Evolution Algorithm of HORTSYST Crop Model for Fertigation Management

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 610
Author(s):  
Antonio Martínez-Ruiz ◽  
Agustín Ruiz-García ◽  
J. Víctor Prado-Hernández ◽  
Irineo L. López-Cruz ◽  
J. Olaf Valencia-Islas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Differential Evolution ◽  
Global Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Differential Evolution Algorithm ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Good Prediction ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Global Sensitivity ◽  
De Algorithm

Sensitivity analysis is the first step in elucidating how the uncertainties in model parameters affect the uncertainty in model outputs. Calibration of dynamic models is another issue of considerable interest, which is usually carried out by optimizing an objective function. The first aim of this research was to perform a global sensitivity analysis (GSA) with Sobol’s method for the 16 parameters of the new HORTSYST nonlinear model that simulates photo–thermal time (PTI), daily dry matter production DMP, nitrogen uptake (Nup), leaf area index (LAI), and crop transpiration (ETc). The second objective was to carry out the calibration of the HORTSYST model by applying a differential evolution (DE) algorithm as the global optimization method. Two tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) crops were established during the autumn–winter and spring–summer seasons under greenhouse and soilless culture conditions. Plants were distributed with a density of 3.5 plants m−2. Air temperature and relative humidity were measured with an S-THB-M008 model sensor. Global solar radiation was measured with an S-LIB-M003 sensor connected to a U-30-NRC datalogger. In the sensitivity analysis run in the two growth stages, it was observed that a greater number of parameters were more important at the beginning of fructification than at the end of crop growth for 10% and 20% of the variation of the parameters. The sensitivity analysis came up with nine parameters (RUE, a, b, c1 , c2, A, Bd, Bn, and PTIini) as the most important of the HORTSYST model, which were included in the calibration process with the DE algorithm. The best fit, according to RMSE, was for LAI, followed by Nup, DMP, and ETc for both crop seasons; the RMSE was close to zero, indicating a good prediction of the model’s performance.

scholarly journals Quantifying the Robustness of Vegetation Indices through Global Sensitivity Analysis of Homogeneous and Forest Leaf-Canopy Radiative Transfer Models

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 2418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Morcillo-Pallarés ◽  
Juan Pablo Rivera-Caicedo ◽  
Santiago Belda ◽  
Charlotte De Grave ◽  
Helena Burriel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Global Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Landsat 8 ◽  
Global Sensitivity ◽  
Radiative Transfer Models ◽  
Equivalent Water Thickness ◽  
Input Variables ◽  
Transfer Models

Vegetation indices (VIs) are widely used in optical remote sensing to estimate biophysical variables of vegetated surfaces. With the advent of spectroscopy technology, spectral bands can be combined in numerous ways to extract the desired information. This resulted in a plethora of proposed indices, designed for a diversity of applications and research purposes. However, it is not always clear whether they are sensitive to the variable of interest while at the same time, responding insensitive to confounding factors. Hence, to be able to quantify the robustness of VIs, a systematic evaluation is needed, thereby introducing a widest possible variety of biochemical and structural heterogeneity. Such exercise can be achieved with coupled leaf and canopy radiative transfer models (RTMs), whereby input variables can virtually simulate any vegetation scenario. With the intention of evaluating multiple VIs in an efficient way, this led us to the development of a global sensitivity analysis (GSA) toolbox dedicated to the analysis of VIs on their sensitivity towards RTM input variables. We identified VIs that are designed to be sensitive towards leaf chlorophyll content (LCC), leaf water content (LWC) and leaf area index (LAI) for common sensors of terrestrial Earth observation satellites: Landsat 8, MODIS, Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3 and the upcoming imaging spectrometer mission EnMAP. The coupled RTMs PROSAIL and PROINFORM were used for simulations of homogeneous and forest canopies respectively. GSA total sensitivity results suggest that LCC-sensitive indices respond most robust: for the great majority of scenarios, chlorophyll a + b content (Cab) drives between 75% and 82% of the indices’ variability. LWC-sensitive indices were most affected by confounding variables such as Cab and LAI, although the equivalent water thickness (Cw) can drive between 25% and 50% of the indices’ variability. Conversely, the majority of LAI-sensitive indices are not only sensitive to LAI but rather to a mixture of structural and biochemical variables.

scholarly journals Global Sensitivity Analysis for Canopy Reflectance and Vegetation Indices of Mangroves

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 2617
Author(s):  
Chunyue Niu ◽  
Stuart Phinn ◽  
Chris Roelfsema
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Global Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Canopy Reflectance ◽  
Biophysical Properties ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Fractional Cover ◽  
Sensitivity Indices ◽  
The Impact

Remote sensing has been applied to map the extent and biophysical properties of mangroves. However, the impact of several critical factors, such as the fractional cover and leaf-to-total area ratio of mangroves, on their canopy reflectance have rarely been reported. In this study, a systematic global sensitivity analysis was performed for mangroves based on a one-dimensional canopy reflectance model. Different scenarios such as sparse or dense canopies were set up to evaluate the impact of various biophysical and environmental factors, together with their ranges and probability distributions, on simulated canopy reflectance spectra and selected Sentinel-2A vegetation indices of mangroves. A variance-based method and a density-based method were adopted to compare the computed sensitivity indices. Our results showed that the fractional cover and leaf-to-total area ratio of mangrove crowns were among the most influential factors for all examined scenarios. As for other factors, plant area index and water depth were influential for sparse canopies while leaf biochemical properties and inclination angles were more influential for dense canopies. Therefore, these influential factors may need attention when mapping the biophysical properties of mangroves such as leaf area index. Moreover, a tailored sensitivity analysis is recommended for a specific mapping application as the computed sensitivity indices may be different if a specific input configuration and sensitivity analysis method are adopted.

scholarly journals Joint Retrieval of Winter Wheat Leaf Area Index and Canopy Chlorophyll Density Using Hyperspectral Vegetation Indices

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 3175
Author(s):  
Naichen Xing ◽  
Wenjiang Huang ◽  
Huichun Ye ◽  
Yu Ren ◽  
Qiaoyun Xie
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Leaf Area Index ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Growth Monitoring ◽  
Area Index

Leaf area index (LAI) and canopy chlorophyll density (CCD) are key biophysical and biochemical parameters utilized in winter wheat growth monitoring. In this study, we would like to exploit the advantages of three canonical types of spectral vegetation indices: indices sensitive to LAI, indices sensitive to chlorophyll content, and indices suitable for both parameters. In addition, two methods for joint retrieval were proposed. The first method is to develop integration-based indices incorporating LAI-sensitive and CCD-sensitive indices. The second method is to create a transformed triangular vegetation index (TTVI2) based on the spectral and physiological characteristics of the parameters. PROSAIL, as a typical radiative transfer model embedded with physical laws, was used to build estimation models between the indices and the relevant parameters. Validation was conducted against a field-measured hyperspectral dataset for four distinct growth stages and pooled data. The results indicate that: (1) the performance of the integrated indices from the first method are various because of the component indices; (2) TTVI2 is an excellent predictor for joint retrieval, with the highest R2 values of 0.76 and 0.59, the RMSE of 0.93 m2/m2 and 104.66 μg/cm2, and the RRMSE (Relative RMSE) of 12.76% and 16.96% for LAI and CCD, respectively.

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