Indirect Sensing of Plant Canopy Structure with Simple Radiation Measurements

摘要

A technique for indirectly sensing canopy structure from simple, manageable measurements of sunlight transmission through the canopy is examined. The need for reliable measures of leaf area index and leaf angle distributions has been clearly established in the literature for many applications, in particular as inputs to canopy-atmosphere interaction models and dry deposition calculation techniques. The integral relationship between sunlight transmission and canopy structure is discussed and a numerical solution technique is described. Test results with simulated data and with actual field measurements support the conclusion that useful estimates of plant canopy structure can be derived from manageable radiation measurements within and beneath the canopy. (Copyright (c) 1988 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.)