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Determining the K coefficient to leaf area index estimations in a tropical dry forest

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Abstract

Vegetation indices are useful tools to remotely estimate several important parameters related to ecosystem functioning. However, improving and validating estimations for a wide range of vegetation types are necessary. In this study, we provide a methodology for the estimation of the leaf area index (LAI) in a tropical dry forest (TDF) using the light diffusion through the canopy as a function of the successional stage. For this purpose, we estimated the K coefficient, a parameter that relates the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to LAI, based on photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and solar radiation. The study was conducted in the Mata Seca State Park, in southeastern Brazil, from 2012 to 2013. We defined four successional stages (very early, early, intermediate, and late) and established one optical phenology tower at one plot of 20 × 20 m per stage. Towers measured the incoming and reflected solar radiation and PAR for NDVI calculation. For each plot, we established 24 points for LAI sampling through hemispherical photographs. Because leaf cover is highly seasonal in TDFs, we determined ΔK (leaf growth phase) and Kmax (leaf maturity phase). We detected a strong correlation between NDVI and LAI, which is necessary for a reliable determination of the K coefficient. Both NDVI and LAI varied significantly between successional stages, indicating sensitivity to structural changes in forest regeneration. Furthermore, the K values differed between successional stages and correlated significantly with other environmental variables such as air temperature and humidity, fraction of absorbed PAR, and soil moisture. Thus, we established a model based on spectral properties of the vegetation coupled with biophysical characteristics in a TDF that makes possible to estimate LAI from NDVI values. The application of the K coefficient can improve remote estimations of forest primary productivity and gases and energy exchanges between vegetation and atmosphere. This model can be applied to distinguish different successional stages of TDFs, supporting environmental monitoring and conservation policies towards this biome.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank L. A. D. Falcão and R. Reis Jr. for their assistance in statistical analyses. We gratefully acknowledge the staff of the Instituto Estadual de Florestas (IEF-MG) for allowing us to stay and work at Mata Seca State Park (MSSP). S. F. Magalhães and MM Espírito-Santo greatly acknowledge a research scholarship from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and CNPq, respectively. We thank the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for the financial support through its Discovery grant program. This study was in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Master degree at the Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros.

Funding

This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq -563304/2010-3 and 562955/2010-0), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa de Minas Gerais - FAPEMIG, and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI - CRN 2021 and CRN 3025).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Pesquisa em Ecologia Florestal, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Tefé, AM, CP 69553-115, Brazil

    Sarah Freitas Magalhães

  2. Center for Earth Observation Sciences (CEOS), Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada

    Sofia Calvo-Rodriguez & Gerardo Arturo Sánchez Azofeifa

  3. Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, CP 126, Montes Claros, MG, 39401-089, Brazil

    Mário Marcos do Espírito Santo

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  1. Sarah Freitas Magalhães
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  4. Gerardo Arturo Sánchez Azofeifa
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Correspondence to Sarah Freitas Magalhães.

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Magalhães, S.F., Calvo-Rodriguez, S., do Espírito Santo, M.M. et al. Determining the K coefficient to leaf area index estimations in a tropical dry forest. Int J Biometeorol 62, 1187–1197 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-018-1522-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-018-1522-6

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