Abstract

The leaf area index (LAI, total area of leaves per unit area of ground) of most forest canopies varies throughout the year, yet for logistical reasons it is difficult to estimate anything more detailed than an annual average LAI. To determine if remotely sensed data can be used to estimate LAI at times throughout the year (herein termed seasonal LAI), field measurements of LAI were compared to normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values, derived using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data, for 16 fertilized and control slash pine plots on three dates. Linear relationships existed between NDVI and LAI with R2 values of 0.35, 0.75, and 0.86 for February 1988, September 1988and March 1989, respectively. Predictive relationships based on data from eight of the plots were used to estimate the LAI of the other eight plots with a root-mean-square error of 0.74 LAI, which is 15.6% of the mean LAI. This demonstrates the potential use of Landsat TM data for studying seasonal dynamics in forest canopies.