scholarly journals Evaluating remote sensing of deciduous forest phenology at multiple spatial scales using PhenoCam imagery

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4305-4320 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. T. Klosterman ◽  
K. Hufkens ◽  
J. M. Gray ◽  
E. Melaas ◽  
O. Sonnentag ◽  
...  

Abstract. Plant phenology regulates ecosystem services at local and global scales and is a sensitive indicator of global change. Estimates of phenophase transition dates, such as the start of spring or end of fall, can be derived from sensor-based time series, but must be interpreted in terms of biologically relevant events. We use the PhenoCam archive of digital repeat photography to implement a consistent protocol for visual assessment of canopy phenology at 13 temperate deciduous forest sites throughout eastern North America, and to perform digital image analysis for time-series-based estimation of phenophase transition dates. We then compare these results to remote sensing metrics of phenophase transition dates derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensors. We present a new type of curve fit that uses a generalized sigmoid function to estimate phenology dates, and we quantify the statistical uncertainty of phenophase transition dates estimated using this method. Results show that the generalized sigmoid provides estimates of dates with less statistical uncertainty than other curve-fitting methods. Additionally, we find that dates derived from analysis of high-frequency PhenoCam imagery have smaller uncertainties than satellite remote sensing metrics of phenology, and that dates derived from the remotely sensed enhanced vegetation index (EVI) have smaller uncertainty than those derived from the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Near-surface time-series estimates for the start of spring are found to closely match estimates derived from visual assessment of leaf-out, as well as satellite remote-sensing-derived estimates of the start of spring. However late spring and fall phenology metrics exhibit larger differences between near-surface and remote scales. Differences in late spring phenology between near-surface and remote scales are found to correlate with a landscape metric of deciduous forest cover. These results quantify the effect of landscape heterogeneity when aggregating to the coarser spatial scales of remote sensing, and demonstrate the importance of accurate curve fitting and vegetation index selection when analyzing and interpreting phenology time series.

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 2305-2342 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. T. Klosterman ◽  
K. Hufkens ◽  
J. M. Gray ◽  
E. Melaas ◽  
O. Sonnentag ◽  
...  

Abstract. Plant phenology regulates ecosystem services at local and global scales and is a sensitive indicator of global change. Estimates of phenophase transition dates, such as the start of spring or end of autumn, can be derived from sensor-based time series data at the near-surface and remote scales, but must be interpreted in terms of biologically relevant events. We use the PhenoCam archive of digital repeat photography to implement a consistent protocol for visual assessment of canopy phenology at 13 temperate deciduous forest sites throughout eastern North America, as well as to perform digital image analysis for time series-based estimates of phenology dates. We then compare these near-surface results to remote sensing metrics of phenology at the landscape scale, derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensors. We present a new type of curve fit, using a generalized sigmoid, to estimate phenology dates. We quantify the statistical uncertainty of phenophase transition dates estimated using this method and show that the generalized sigmoid results in less statistical uncertainty than other curve-fitting methods. Additionally, we find that dates derived from analysis of high-frequency PhenoCam imagery have smaller uncertainties than remote sensing metrics of phenology, and that dates derived from the remotely-sensed enhanced vegetation index (EVI) have smaller uncertainty than those derived from the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Near-surface time series estimates for the start of spring are found to closely match visual assessment of leaf out, as well as remote sensing-derived estimates of the start of spring. However late spring and autumn phenology exhibit larger differences between near-surface and remote scales. Differences in late spring phenology between near-surface and remote scales are found to correlate with a landscape metric of deciduous forest cover. These results quantify the effect of landscape heterogeneity when aggregating to the coarser spatial scales of remote sensing, and demonstrate the importance of accurate curve fitting and vegetation index selection when analyzing and interpreting phenology time series.


2016 ◽  
Vol 183 ◽  
pp. 562-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Löw ◽  
François Waldner ◽  
Alexandre Latchininsky ◽  
Chandrashekhar Biradar ◽  
Maximilian Bolkart ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 905-918 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Echappé ◽  
Pierre Gernez ◽  
Vona Méléder ◽  
Bruno Jesus ◽  
Bruno Cognie ◽  
...  

Abstract. Satellite remote sensing (RS) is routinely used for the large-scale monitoring of microphytobenthos (MPB) biomass in intertidal mudflats and has greatly improved our knowledge of MPB spatio-temporal variability and its potential drivers. Processes operating on smaller scales however, such as the impact of benthic macrofauna on MPB development, to date remain underinvestigated. In this study, we analysed the influence of wild Crassostrea gigas oyster reefs on MPB biofilm development using multispectral RS. A 30-year time series (1985–2015) combining high-resolution (30 m) Landsat and SPOT data was built in order to explore the relationship between C. gigas reefs and MPB spatial distribution and seasonal dynamics, using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Emphasis was placed on the analysis of a before–after control-impact (BACI) experiment designed to assess the effect of oyster killing on the surrounding MPB biofilms. Our RS data reveal that the presence of oyster reefs positively affects MPB biofilm development. Analysis of the historical time series first showed the presence of persistent, highly concentrated MPB patches around oyster reefs. This observation was supported by the BACI experiment which showed that killing the oysters (while leaving the physical reef structure, i.e. oyster shells, intact) negatively affected both MPB biofilm biomass and spatial stability around the reef. As such, our results are consistent with the hypothesis of nutrient input as an explanation for the MPB growth-promoting effect of oysters, whereby organic and inorganic matter released through oyster excretion and biodeposition stimulates MPB biomass accumulation. MPB also showed marked seasonal variations in biomass and patch shape, size and degree of aggregation around the oyster reefs. Seasonal variations in biomass, with higher NDVI during spring and autumn, were consistent with those observed on broader scales in other European mudflats. Our study provides the first multi-sensor RS satellite evidence of the promoting and structuring effect of oyster reefs on MPB biofilms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1597
Author(s):  
Shangharsha Thapa ◽  
Virginia E. Garcia Millan ◽  
Lars Eklundh

The monitoring of forest phenology based on observations from near-surface sensors such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), PhenoCams, and Spectral Reflectance Sensors (SRS) over satellite sensors has recently gained significant attention in the field of remote sensing and vegetation phenology. However, exploring different aspects of forest phenology based on observations from these sensors and drawing comparatives from the time series of vegetation indices (VIs) still remains a challenge. Accordingly, this research explores the potential of near-surface sensors to track the temporal dynamics of phenology, cross-compare their results against satellite observations (MODIS, Sentinel-2), and validate satellite-derived phenology. A time series of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Green Chromatic Coordinate (GCC), and Normalized Difference of Green & Red (VIgreen) indices were extracted from both near-surface and satellite sensor platforms. The regression analysis between time series of NDVI data from different sensors shows the high Pearson’s correlation coefficients (r > 0.75). Despite the good correlations, there was a remarkable offset and significant differences in slope during green-up and senescence periods. SRS showed the most distinctive NDVI profile and was different to other sensors. PhenoCamGCC tracked green-up of the canopy better than the other indices, with a well-defined start, end, and peak of the season, and was most closely correlated (r > 0.93) with the satellites, while SRS-based VIgreen accounted for the least correlation (r = 0.58) against Sentinel-2. Phenophase transition dates were estimated and validated against visual inspection of the PhenoCam data. The Start of Spring (SOS) and End of Spring (EOS) could be predicted with an accuracy of <3 days with GCC, while these metrics from VIgreen and NDVI resulted in a slightly higher bias of (3–10) days. The observed agreement between UAVNDVI vs. satelliteNDVI and PhenoCamGCC vs. satelliteGCC suggests that it is feasible to use PhenoCams and UAVs for satellite data validation and upscaling. Thus, a combination of these near-surface vegetation metrics is promising for a holistic understanding of vegetation phenology from canopy perspective and could serve as a good foundation for analysing the interoperability of different sensors for vegetation dynamics and change analysis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 274
Author(s):  
Qu Zhou ◽  
Xianghan Sun ◽  
Liqiao Tian ◽  
Jian Li ◽  
Wenkai Li

Accurate monitoring of plant phenology is vital to effective understanding and prediction of the response of vegetation ecosystems to climate change. Satellite remote sensing is extensively employed to monitor vegetation phenology. However, fall phenology, such as peak foliage coloration, is less well understood compared with spring phenological events, and is mainly determined using the vegetation index (VI) time-series. Each VI only emphasizes a single vegetation property. Thus, selecting suitable VIs and taking advantage of multiple spectral signatures to detect phenological events is challenging. In this study, a novel grouping-based time-series approach for satellite remote sensing was proposed, and a wide range of spectral wavelengths was considered to monitor the complex fall foliage coloration process with simultaneous changes in multiple vegetation properties. The spatial and temporal scale effects of satellite data were reduced to form a reliable remote sensing time-series, which was then divided into groups, namely pre-transition, transition and post-transition groups, to represent vegetation dynamics. The transition period of leaf coloration was correspondingly determined to divisions with the smallest intra-group and largest inter-group distances. Preliminary results using a time-series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data from 2002 to 2013 at the Harvard Forest (spatial scale: ~3500 m; temporal scale: ~8 days) demonstrated that the method can accurately determine the coloration period (correlation coefficient: 0.88; mean absolute difference: 3.38 days), and that the peak coloration periods displayed a shifting trend to earlier dates. The grouping-based approach shows considerable potential in phenological monitoring using satellite time-series.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Echappé ◽  
Pierre Gernez ◽  
Vona Méléder ◽  
Bruno Jesus ◽  
Bruno Cognie ◽  
...  

Abstract. Satellite remote sensing (RS) is routinely used for the large-scale monitoring of microphytobenthos (MPB) biomass in intertidal mudflats, and has greatly improved our knowledge of MPB spatio-temporal variability and its potential drivers. Processes operating at smaller scales however, such as the impact of benthic macrofauna on MPB development, to date remain underinvestigated. In this study, we analysed the influence of wild Crassostrea gigas oyster reefs on MPB biofilm development using multispectral RS. A 30-year time series (1985–2015) combining high resolution (30 m) Landsat and SPOT data was built in order to explore the relationship between C. gigas reefs and MPB spatial distribution and seasonal dynamics, using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Emphasis was placed on the analysis of a before after control impact (BACI) experiment designed to assess the effect of oyster killing on the surrounding MPB biofilms. Our RS data reveal that the presence of oyster reefs positively affects MPB biofilm development. Analysis of the historical time series first showed the presence of persistent, highly concentrated MPB patches around oyster reefs. This observation was then confirmed by the BACI experiment which showed that killing the oysters (while leaving the physical reef structure, i.e. oyster shells, intact) negatively affected both MPB biofilm biomass and spatial stability around the reef. As such, our results are consistent with the hypothesis of nutrient input as an explanation for the MPB growth promoting effect of oysters, whereby organic and inorganic matter released through oyster excretion and biodeposition stimulates MPB biomass accumulation. MPB also showed marked seasonal variations in biomass and patch shape, size and degree of aggregation around the oyster reefs. Seasonal variations in biomass, with higher NDVI during spring and fall, were consistent with those observed at broader scales in other European mudflats. Our study provides the first multi-sensor RS satellite evidence of the promoting and structuring effect of oyster reefs on MPB biofilms.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Çağrı Hasan Karaman ◽  
Zuhal Akyurek

&lt;p&gt;Near surface air temperature is a key variable used in wide range of applications showing environmental conditions across the earth. Standard meteorological observations generally provide the best estimation with high accuracy over time for a small area of influence. However, considerable uncertainty arises when point measurements are extrapolated or interpolated over much larger areas. Satellite remote sensing data have emerged as a viable alternative or supplement to in situ observations due to their availability over vast ungauged regions. Thus, spatial patterns of air temperature can be derived from satellite remote sensing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this study, we evaluate the performance of several satellite-based products of near surface air temperature to determine the best product in estimating daily and monthly air temperatures. Era5 Land, SMAP Level 4, AgERA5, MERRA2 products are used with 1120 ground-based gauge stations for the period 2015-2019 over complex terrain and different climate classes according to K&amp;#246;ppen-Geiger climate classification in Turkey. Moreover, several traditional and more sophisticated machine learning downscaling algorithms are applied to increase products&amp;#8217; spatial resolution. The agreement between ground observations and the different products and the downscaled temperature product is investigated using a set of commonly used statistical estimators of mean absolute error (MAE), correlation coefficient (CC), root-mean-square error (RMSE) and bias.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Performance analysis of satellite-based air temperature products with ground-based observations on monthly time series has shown that ERA5 Land and SMAP L4 products have similar capabilities. However, analysis on daily time series depicted that ERA5 Land is superior to SMAP L4 product. Results indicate that bicubic interpolation performs best on downscaling Era5 Land product daily time series. However, Random Forest algorithm is superior on monthly time series.&lt;/p&gt;


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Douglas ◽  
Caiyun Zhang

The seasonal snowpack plays a critical role in Arctic and boreal hydrologic and ecologic processes. Though snow depth can be different from one season to another there are repeated relationships between ecotype and snowpack depth. Alterations to the seasonal snowpack, which plays a critical role in regulating wintertime soil thermal conditions, have major ramifications for near-surface permafrost. Therefore, relationships between vegetation and snowpack depth are critical for identifying how present and projected future changes in winter season processes or land cover will affect permafrost. Vegetation and snow cover areal extent can be assessed rapidly over large spatial scales with remote sensing methods, however, measuring snow depth remotely has proven difficult. This makes snow depth–vegetation relationships a potential means of assessing snowpack characteristics. In this study, we combined airborne hyperspectral and LiDAR data with machine learning methods to characterize relationships between ecotype and the end of winter snowpack depth. Our results show hyperspectral measurements account for two thirds or more of the variance in the relationship between ecotype and snow depth. An ensemble analysis of model outputs using hyperspectral and LiDAR measurements yields the strongest relationships between ecotype and snow depth. Our results can be applied across the boreal biome to model the coupling effects between vegetation and snowpack depth.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian Jiang ◽  
Xiangnan Liu ◽  
Ling Wu

Accurate and timely information about rice planting areas is essential for crop yield estimation, global climate change and agricultural resource management. In this study, we present a novel pixel-level classification approach that uses convolutional neural network (CNN) model to extract the features of enhanced vegetation index (EVI) time series curve for classification. The goal is to explore the practicability of deep learning techniques for rice recognition in complex landscape regions, where rice is easily confused with the surroundings, by using mid-resolution remote sensing images. A transfer learning strategy is utilized to fine tune a pre-trained CNN model and obtain the temporal features of the EVI curve. Support vector machine (SVM), a traditional machine learning approach, is also implemented in the experiment. Finally, we evaluate the accuracy of the two models. Results show that our model performs better than SVM, with the overall accuracies being 93.60% and 91.05%, respectively. Therefore, this technique is appropriate for estimating rice planting areas in southern China on the basis of a pre-trained CNN model by using time series data. And more opportunity and potential can be found for crop classification by remote sensing and deep learning technique in the future study.


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