Remote Sensing of Vegetation

Abstract

To deeply understand how interactions between global warming and carbon, water, and energy cycles above the permafrost affect terrestrial ecosystems, accurate observations of spatiotemporal variability in (1) aboveground biomass (stems, branches, and leaves), (2) plant functional type (PFT; e.g., deciduous coniferous or deciduous broadleaf forest), and (3) growing season duration (i.e., the period from leaf-flush to leaf-fall) are required from plot to continental scales. Toward this aim, remote-sensing techniques can be used to obtain data remotely and nondestructively. To observe the targeted parameters, these techniques use sensors such as digital cameras, spectral radiometers, and lasers mounted on various platforms including towers, drones, aircraft, and satellites. In this chapter, we first review previous studies that have employed remote-sensing techniques to investigate aboveground biomass, PFT, and growing season duration in eastern Siberia. We then introduce our own studies, which compared in situ field observations with satellite observations, and examine the usability and prospects of remote-sensing techniques, including uncertainties and other related issues, for observing terrestrial ecosystems in eastern Siberia.