Leaf Area Index V2 - PROBA-V - South America

Abstract:
Leaf Area Index (LAI) was 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 and its estimation is therefore scale-dependant over heterogeneous landscapes. The derived LAI corresponds to the total green LAI, including the contribution of the green elements of the understory. The LAI 1km version 2 product is derived by first calculating instantaneous estimates using a neural network and calibrated daily Top of the Canopy reflectances as input. In a second step these instantaneous estimates are composited using an asymmetric period and performing a temporal smooth and gap fill operation based on the land cover type (Evergreen Broadleaf Forest or not).