Leaf Area Index - Sentinel-3 - Africa

Abstract:
LAI is defined by CEOS as half the developed area of the convex hull wrapping the green canopy elements per unit horizontal ground. This definition allows accounting for elements which are not flat such as needles or stems. LAI is strongly non-linearly related to reflectance. Therefore, its estimation from remote sensing observations will be scale dependent over heterogeneous landscapes. When observing a canopy made of different layers of vegetation, it is therefore mandatory to consider all the green layers. This is particularly important for forest canopies where the understory may represent a very significant contribution to the total canopy LAI. The derived LAI corresponds therefore to the total green LAI, including the contribution of the green elements of the understory. From the available global product, this product is a geographic subset over Africa. Access to Copernicus Land Service products is free and open to all users.