Skip to main content
Log in

Relationship between atmospheric CO2 variations and a satellite-derived vegetation index

  • Article
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Estimates derived from satellite data of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by terrestrial vegetation correlate with atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations measured at surface recording stations, suggesting that satellite data can be used to estimate terrestrial photosynthesis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gates, D. M., Keegan, H. J., Schleter, J. C. & Weidner, V. P. Appl Opt. 4, 11–20 (1965).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Knipling, E. B. Remote Sens. Envir. 1, 115–119 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Woolley, J. T. Pl. Physiol. 47, 656–662 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kumar, R. & Silva, L. Appl. Opt. 12, 2950–2954 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Tucker, C. J. & Garratt, M. W. Appl. Opt. 16, 635–642 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Tucker, C. J. Grass Forage Set. 35, 177–182 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Curran, P. J. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A309, 257–270 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kumar, M. & Monteith, J. L. in Plants and the Daylight Spectrum (ed. Smith, H.) 133–144 (Academic, London, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Daughtry, C. S. T., Galio, K. P. & Bauer, M. E. Agron. J. 75, 527–531 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Hatfield, J. L., Asrar, G. & Kanemasu, E. T. Remote Sens. Envir. 14, 65–76 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Wiegand, C. L. & Richardson, A. J. Agron. J. 76, 543–548 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Asrar, G., Fuchs, M., Kanemasu, E. T. & Hatfield, J. L. Agron. J. 76, 300–306 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Sellers, P. J. Int. J. Remote Sens. 6, 1335–1372 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Keeling, C. D. Proc. Carbon Dioxide Research Conference: Carbon Dioxide, Science and Consensus 2.1–2.62 (Department of Energy Conf.-82097, 1982).

  15. Komhyr, W.D. et al. J. geophys. Res. 90, 5567–5596 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Machta, L., Hansen, K. & Keeling, C.D. in The Fate of Fossil Fuel CO2 in the Oceans (eds Anderson, N. R. & Malahoff, A.) 131–144 (Plenum, New York, 1977).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  17. Woodwell, G. M., Houghton, R. A. & Tempel, N. R. J. geophys. Res. 78, 932–940 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Fung, I. Y. in Proc. 6th Oak Ridge natn. Lab. Life Sci. Symp. on the Global Carbon Cycle (ed. Jacobs, V.) (US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, in the press).

  19. Heimann, M. M., Keeling, C. D. & Fung, I. Y. in Proc. 6th Oak Ridge natn. Lab. Life Sci. Symp. on the Global Carbon Cycle (ed. Jacobs, V.) (US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, in the press).

  20. Junge, C. E. & Czeplak, G. Tellus 20, 422–434 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Machta, L. Bull. Am. met. Soc. 53, 402–420 (1972).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Fung, I. Y., Prentice, K., Mathews, E., Lerner, J. & Russel, G. J. geophys. Res. 88,1281–1294 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Bolin, B. & Keeling, C. D. J. geophys. Res. 68, 3899–3920 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Pearman, G. I. & Hyson, P. J. geophys. Res. 85, 4457–4467 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Azevedo, A. E. thesis, Columbia University (1982).

  26. Woodwell, G. M. et al. Science 222, 1081–1086 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Woodwell, G. M. in The Role of Terrestrial Vegetation in the Global Carbon Cycle: Measurement by Remote Sensing (ed. Woodwell, G. M.) 1–17 (SCOPE 23, Wiley, New York, 1984).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Tucker, C. J., Townshend, J. R. G. & Goff, T. E. Science 227, 369–375 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Justice, C. O., Townshend, J. R. G., Holben, B. N. & Tucker, C. J. Int. J. Remote Sens. 6, 1278–1318 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Goward, S. N., Tucker, C. J. & Dye, D. G. Vegetacio (in the press).

  31. Tucker, C. J., Vanpraet, C. L., Sharman, M. J. & Van Ittersum, G. Remote Sens. Envir. 17, 233–249 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  32. Tarpley, J. D., Schneider, S. R. & Money, R. L. J. Climate appl. Met. 23, 491–493 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Holben, B. N. & Fraser, R. S. Int. J. Remote Sens. 5, 145–160 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. Schutz, C. & Gates, W. L. Preprint (Rand Corporation, R-1029-ARPA, Santa Monica, 1972).

  35. Larcher, W. & Bauer, H. in Physiological Plant Ecology (eds Lange, O. L., Nobel, P. S., Osmond, C. B. & Ziegler, H.) 403–437 (Springer, Berlin, 1981).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  36. Swift, M. J., Heal, O. W. & Anderson, J. M. Decomposition in Terrestrial Ecosystems, 308–309 (Blackwell, Oxford, 1979).

    Google Scholar 

  37. Linkins, A. E., Melillo, J. M. & Sinsabaugh, R. L. Current Perspectives in Microbial Ecology (eds Klug, M. J. & Reddy, C. A.) 572–579 (American Society of Microbiology, Washington, DC, 1984).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tucker, C., Fung, I., Keeling, C. et al. Relationship between atmospheric CO2 variations and a satellite-derived vegetation index. Nature 319, 195–199 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/319195a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/319195a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Navigation