A forest canopy reflectance model and a test case

Abstract

A brief description of a new forest reflectance model is given. As model input parameters, several ordinary forest mensuration parameters can be used. Results from model calculations compared with those from reflectance measurements with an airborne radiometer for 12 Scots pine-dominated boreal forests in Estonia have shown a rather good agreement in the red region both in summer and winter conditions. The coincidence is the poorest in the green and near infrared regions in summer. In winter with the snow-covered grounds, in spite of the acceptable r 2 values of the respective linear regression, there tends to be systematic overestimation of simulated reflectance values. Further tests of the model are needed to confirm its ability to predict the relations of forest reflectance with most important structural and optical model input parameters.