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Methodologies for Mapping Plant Functional Types

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Advances in Land Remote Sensing

Plant functional type (PFT) is a crucial variable needed in studies of global climate, carbon cycle and ecosystem change. Using remote sensing techniques to extract PFTs is a relatively recent field of research. To date, only a very few methods for mapping PFTs have been reported. This chapter provides an overview of recent developments in this evolving field and discusses future research needs. A brief survey of existing methods for mapping PFTs is presented, followed by a discussion of several methodological issues pertaining to the development of robust remote sensing techniques for mapping of PFTs at regional to global scales. The chapter also outlines a multisource data fusion framework for improved mapping of PFTs from satellite observations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Planning, Grand Valley State University, USA

    Wanxiao Sun

  2. Department of Geography, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    Shunlin Liang

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  1. Wanxiao Sun
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  1. University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    Shunlin Liang

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Sun, W., Liang, S. (2008). Methodologies for Mapping Plant Functional Types. In: Liang, S. (eds) Advances in Land Remote Sensing. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6450-0_14

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