The importance of measurement errors for deriving accurate reference leaf area index maps for validation Moderate Resolution satellite LAI products

• Main Authors: Dong Huang, Wenze Yang, Bin Tan, Miina Rautiainen, Ping Zhang, Jiannan Hu, Nikolay V. Shabanov, Sune Linder, Yuri Knyazikhin, Ranga B. Myneni
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: Northern Sweden
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.71.1226; http://cybele.bu.edu/download/manuscripts/dh01.pdf

Abstract—The validation of moderate-resolution satellite leaf area index (LAI) products such as those operationally generated from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor data requires reference LAI maps developed from field LAI measurements and fine-resolution satellite data. Errors in field measurements and satellite data determine the accuracy of the reference LAI maps. This paper describes a method by which reference maps of known accuracy can be generated with knowledge of errors in fine-resolution satellite data. The method is demonstrated with data from an international field campaign in a boreal coniferous forest in northern Sweden, and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus images. The reference LAI map thus generated is used to assess modifications to the MODIS LAI/fPAR algorithm recently implemented to derive the next generation of the MODIS LAI/fPAR product for this important biome type. Index Terms—Leaf area index (LAI), Moderate Resolution-Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), validation of satellite