| title: | Monitoring the productivity of Estonian forests by satellite remote sensing |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF6815 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
1.4. Astronomy 1.14. Ecology 4.3. Sylviculture, Forestry |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | Tartu Observatory |
| head of project: | Tiit Nilson |
| duration: | 01.01.2006 - 31.12.2009 |
| description: | The Monteith hypothesis is tested with respect to the estimation of primary production (yearly wood increment)in Estonian forests and to the methods of estimation forest productivity by means of remote sensing metods. According to the hypothesis, the yearly net primary production of a plant community is proportional to the amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) absorbed by the community during the active vegetation period. Absorbed PAR and its course during the vegetation period can be estimated using satellite remote sensing methods typically through its relation with the imagery-derived vegetation indices such as NDVI. As the main source data for the research, the existing in Estonia forestry databases (TAKSIK of the National Forest Inventory, databases of the statistical forest inventory and of permanent forest yield sampleplots created by prof. A. Kiviste in the Estonian Agricultural University) and the sets of higher resolution (Landsat TM, SPOT, IKONOS) and medium resolution (MODIS) multispectral satellite images and vegetation productivity-related products of MODIS. The respective relations are derived empirically and theoretically by making use of a forest reflectance model created by the grant team. Also, the multi source KNN-method is used to estimate the forest productivity. The applicability of the MODIS products to estimate the wood increment of Estonian forests is tested. The reseach is directly related to the elaboration of methods of estimation of productivity of Estonian forests as an essential component of the carbon budget and to the testing of a possible method of meeting the needs of the Kioto protocol. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Mait Lang | |||
| 2. | Tiit Nilson | Tartu Observatoorium | ||
| 3. | Rainis Uiga | |||