1

2
3
4
5
 Water
absorption
bands:
0.97 m
1.19 m
1.45 m
1.94 m
2.70 m

Jensen, 2000

Cross-section Through A
Hypothetical and Real
Leaf Revealing the Major
Structural Components
that Determine the
Spectral Reflectance
of Vegetation

Jensen, 2000

6
 Chlorophyllb
Absorption Spectra
of Chlorophylla andb Absorption Spectra of
Chlorophylla
Chlorophyll a and b,
Absorption Efficiency lack of
absorption
-carotene, Pycoerythrin,
and Phycocyanin Pigments

0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7
Chlorophyll a peak absorption is at
a. violet blue green yellow red
Wavelength,m
0.43 and 0.66 m.
Phycocyanin
Phycoerythrin
Chlorophyll b peak absorption is at
0.45 and 0.65 m.
Absorption Efficiency

-carotene Optimum chlorophyll absorption

windows are:
0.45 - 0.52 m and 0.63 - 0.69 m
0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7
b. violet blue green yellow red
Wavelength,m Jensen, 2000

7
 Spectral Reflectance Characteristics of
Sweetgum Leaves (Liquidambar styraciflua L.)

Jensen, 2000

Reflectance Response of a Single Magnolia Leaf

(Magnolia grandiflora) to Decreased Relative Water Content

Jensen, 2000

8
They are often more distinct in the near infrared than in the visible.

9
The near-infrared (NIR) to red simple ratio (SR) is the first true
vegetation index (also known as Simple Ratio:

NIR
SR
red
It takes advantage of the inverse relationship between chlorophyll
absorption of red radiant energy and increased reflectance of near-
infrared energy for healthy plant canopies (Cohen, 1991) .

The generic normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI):

NIR red
NDVI
NIR red
has provided a method of estimating net primary production over
varying biome types (e.g. Lenney et al., 1996), identifying
ecoregions (Ramsey et al., 1995), monitoring phenological
patterns of the earth’s vegetative surface, and of assessing the
length of the growing season and dry-down periods (Huete and
Liu, 1994).

10
11
 Band Wavelength (mm)
1 0.58-0.68
2 0.72-1.10
3 3.55-3.93
4 10.5-11.5
5 11.5-12.5

Normalized Difference
Vegetation Index (NDVI)

12
13
 TM BANDS ETM+ BANDS
Wavelength Spectral
Band No.
Interval (µm) Response
Resolution (m) Resolution
Band Micrometers
(M)
1 0.45 - 0.52 Blue-Green 30
1 .45 to .515 30
2 0.52 - 0.60 Green 30
3 0.63 - 0.69 Red 30 2 .525 to .605 30
4 0.76 - 0.90 Near IR 30
3 .63 to .690 30
5 1.55 - 1.75 Mid-IR 30
6 10.40 - 12.50 Thermal IR 120 4 .75 to .90 30
7 2.08 - 2.35 Mid-IR 30 5 1.55 to 1.75 30
6 10.40 to 12.5 60
IKONOS BANDS 7 2.09 to 2.35 30

Blue: 0.45 - 0.52 mm Pan .52 to .90 15

Green: 0.51 - 0.60 mm
Red: 0.63 - 0.70mm
Near IR: 0.76 - 0.85 mm

14
An Infrared Index (II) that incorporates both near and middle-
infrared bands is sensitive to changes in plant biomass and water
stress in smooth cordgrass studies (Hardisky et al., 1983; 1986):

NIR TM 4  MIR TM 5
II 
NIR TM 4  MIR TM 5
Healthy, mono-specific stands of tidal wetland such as Spartina
often exhibit much lower reflectance in the visible (blue, green,
and red) wavelengths than typical terrestrial vegetation due to the
saturated tidal flat understory. In effect, the moist soil absorbs
almost all energy incident to it. This is why wetland often appear
surprisingly dark on traditional infrared color composites.
Jensen, 2000

Rock et al (199) utilized a Moisture Stress Index (MSI):

MidIR TM 5
MSI 
NIR TM 4
based on the Landsat Thematic Mapper near-ifnrared and middle-
infrared bands

Jensen, 2000

15
Recent emphasis has been given to the development of improved vegetation
indices that may take advantage of calibrated hyperspectral sensor systems such
as the moderate resolution imaging spectrometer - MODIS (Running et al.,
1994). The improved indices incorporate a soil adjustment factor and/or a blue
band for atmospheric normalization. The soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI)
introduces a soil calibration factor, L, to the NDVI equation to minimize soil
background influences resulting from first order soil-plant spectral interactions
(Huete et al., 1994):

(1  L ) NIR  red 
SAVI 
NIR  red  L
An L value of 0.5 minimizes soil brightness variations and eliminates the need
for additional calibration for different soils (Huete and Liu, 1994).

Huete and Liu (1994) integrated the L function from SAVI and a blue-band normalization
to derive a soil and atmospherically resistant vegetation index (SARVI) that corrects for
both soil and atmospheric noise:

p * nir  p * rb
SARVI 
p * nir  p * rb
where

p * rb  p * red    p * blue  p * red 

The technique requires prior correction for molecular scattering and ozone absorption of
the blue, red, and near-infrared remote sensor data, hence the term p*.

16
 The MODIS Land Discipline Group proposed the Enhanced Vegetation Index
(EVI) for use with MODIS Data:

p * nir  p * red
EVI 
p * nir  C1 p * red  C 2 p * blue  L

The EVI is a modified NDVI with a soil adjustment factor, L, and two coefficients,
C1 and C2 which describe the use of the blue band in correction of the red band
for atmsoperhic aerosol scattering. The coefficients, C1 , C2 , and L, are
empirically determined as 6.0, 7.5, and 1.0, respectively. This algorithm has
improved sensitivity to high biomass regions and improved vegetation monitoring
thorugh a de-coupling of the canopy background signal and a reduction in
atmospheric influences (Huete and Justice, 1999).

The Enhanced Vegetation Index

(EVI) improves on the venerable
NDVI. Derived from state-of-the-
art satellite data provided by the
MODIS instrument, EVI improves
on NDVI's spatial resolution, is
more sensitive to differences in
heavily vegetated areas (as seen
here in the Yucatan Peninsula),
and better corrects for
atmospheric haze as well as the
land surface beneath the
vegetation. Early data from
MODIS shows the differences
between EVI and NDVI.

17
18
• Studies of reflectance
patterns and metal
content of substrate
yielded varying results
• Red spruce shows an
increase in reflection in
visible light and reduction
in the Infra red.
• This is not always the
same for every tree
species, and tropical
forests with their diversity
tend to show diverse
results

19
Read Chapter 17 and answer the
review questions 5, 6, and 7 (at the
end of the chapter).

20