NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL

FIELD SPECTROSCOPY FACILITY

LOAN REPORT FORM

Please complete this form and return it to FSF within 3 months of your loan.

FSF Ref / 433.1203
Name Dr. Mathias Disney / Affiliation University College London and NERC Centre for Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics.
General Title of Project Retrieval of structural and biochemical parameters from multiangle, multispectral air- and spaceborne data over mixed conifer stands.
Key Words vegetation; canopy; structure; biochemical; multi-angle.
Project Objectives To retrieve structural and radiometric properties of a forest canopy in order to relate to parameters retrieved from EO data. In particular, to measure conifer needle reflectance, soil and trunk reflectance in order to allow construction of 3D models of canopy scattering. Also, to measure top-of-canopy reflectance with which to validate the resulting canopy models. These models are being used to derive structural and radiometric parameters from air- and spaceborne EO data.
Was the project in conjunction with NERC Airborne data collection? Yes, but none collected due to weather.
Instrument (state ASD / GER1500 / GER3700 / GER IRIS / SE 590 / CIMEL / Microtops II) ASD
Period of Loan (Start / End dates)
25th March – 15th June 2004 / No. of days of data collection
4 (but more in conjunction with Hillier/Lewis as part of separate wheat project)
Spectral Data Collected (Continue on separate page if necessary)
SURFACE TYPE / No. OF SPECTRA / DATE COLLECTED
Conifer needles, understory, bark / 35 / 4-6 June 2004
Amount of intended data collected (* state reasons overleaf) / SOME*
Spectral Data Processing (state software / routines used)
Porstpec
Custom-written software (many routines)
Other Data Collected (eg biophysical parameters, rock / soil samples)
LAI, canopy hemispherical photography, dbh, aerosol optical depth.
Other Data Processing
Results
Spectral data collected using contact probe are of excellent quality and are being used as part of spectral library for canopy modelling. Cannot be related to airborne data as conditions precluded any collection of airborne data. Loan was in collaboration with Dr. J. Hillier/Dr. P. Lewis BNSC/SHAC wheat modelling project (see separate report).
To what extent were the project objectives met? (* state reasons below) / PARTIALLY*
How valuable is the spectral data collected to the project? (* state reasons below) / ESSENTIAL
Intended Publications
Disney, M. I., Lewis, P., Nichol, C. and Quaife, C., Exploring the relationship between vegetation canopy structural and radiometric behaviour, in prep. for submission to Rem. Sens. Environ.
Disney, M. I., Nichol, C. and Lewis, P., Improved modelling of conifer needle reflectance behaviour, in prep. for Agriculture and Forest Meteorol.
Additional Comments
Full objectives were not met due to lack of airborne data (although this was fulfilled later in the year as part of second loan period – see form for loan 432.1203).