On the relation between NDVI, fractional vegetation cover, and leaf area index

Abstract

We use a simple radiative transfer model with vegetation, soil, and atmospheric components to illustrate how the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), leaf area index (LAI), and fractional vegetation cover are dependent. In particular, we suggest that LAI and fractional vegetation cover may not be independent quantitites, at least when the former is defined without regard to the presence of bare patches between plants, and that the customary variation of LAI with NDVI can be explained as resulting from a variation in fractional vegetation cover. The following points are made: i) Fractional vegetation cover and LAI are not entirely independent quantities, depending on how LAI is defined. Care must be taken in using LAI and fractional vegetation cover independently in a model because the former may partially take account of the latter; ii) A scaled NDVI taken between the limits of minimum (bare soil) and miximum fractional vegetation cover is insenstive to atmospheric correction for both clear and hazy conditions, at least for viewing angles less than about 20 degrees from nadir; iii) A simple relation between scaled NDVI and fractional vegetation cover, previously described in the literature, is further confirmed by the .simulations; iv) The sensitive dependence of LAI on NDVI when the former is below a value of about 2–4 may be viewed as being due to the variation in the bare soil component.