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Estimation of leaf area index using ground-based remote sensed NDVI measurements: validation and comparison with two indirect techniques

This study took place in an evergreen scrub oak ecosystem in Florida. Vegetation reflectance was measured in situ with a laboratory-made sensor in the red (640‐9665 nm) and near-infrared (750‐9950 nm) bands to calculate the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and derive the leaf area index (LAI). LAI estimates from this technique were compared with two other nondestructive techniques, intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and hemispherical photographs, in four contrasting 4 m2 plots in February 2000 and two 4 m2 plots in June 2000. We used Beer's law to derive LAI from PAR interception and gap fraction distribution to derive LAI from photographs. The plots were harvested manually after the measurements to determine a "true" LAI value and to calculate a light extinction coefficient (k). The technique based on Beer's law was affected by a large variation of the extinction coefficient, owing to the larger impact of branches in winter when LAI was low. Hemispherical photographs provided satisfactory estimates, slightly overestimated in winter because of the impact of branches or underestimated in summer because of foliage clumping. NDVI provided the best fit, showing only saturation in the densest plot (LAI = 3.5). We conclude that in situ measurement of NDVI is an accurate and simple technique to nondestructively assess LAI in experimental plots or in crops if saturation remains acceptable.