Chapter 4
Land Surface Phenology
Jonathan M. Hanes, Liang Liang and Jeffrey T. Morisette
Abstract Certain vegetation types (e.g., deciduous shrubs, deciduous trees,
grasslands) have distinct life cycles marked by the growth and senescence of
leaves and periods of enhanced photosynthetic activity. Where these types exist,
recurring changes in foliage alter the reflectance of electromagnetic radiation from
the land surface, which can be measured using remote sensors. The timing of these
recurring changes in reflectance is called land surface phenology (LSP). During
recent decades, a variety of methods have been used to derive LSP metrics from
time series of reflectance measurements acquired by satellite-borne sensors. In
contrast to conventional phenology observations, LSP metrics represent the timing
of reflectance changes that are driven by the aggregate activity of vegetation
within the areal unit measured by the satellite sensor and do not directly provide
information about the phenology of individual plants, species, or their phenophases. Despite the generalized nature of satellite sensor-derived measurements,
they have proven useful for studying changes in LSP associated with various
phenomena. This chapter provides a detailed overview of the use of satellite
remote sensing to monitor LSP. First, the theoretical basis for the application of
satellite remote sensing to the study of vegetation phenology is presented. After
establishing a theoretical foundation for LSP, methods of deriving and validating
LSP metrics are discussed. This chapter concludes with a discussion of major
research findings and current and future research directions.
J. M. Hanes (&)
Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
e-mail: jmhanes@uwm.edu
L. Liang
Department of Geography, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
J. T. Morisette
North Central Climate Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO, USA
J. M. Hanes (ed.), Biophysical Applications of Satellite Remote Sensing,
Springer Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-25047-7_4,
Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
99
Land Surface Phenology
Jonathan M. Hanes, Liang Liang and Jeffrey T. Morisette
Abstract Certain vegetation types (e.g., deciduous shrubs, deciduous trees,
grasslands) have distinct life cycles marked by the growth and senescence of
leaves and periods of enhanced photosynthetic activity. Where these types exist,
recurring changes in foliage alter the reflectance of electromagnetic radiation from
the land surface, which can be measured using remote sensors. The timing of these
recurring changes in reflectance is called land surface phenology (LSP). During
recent decades, a variety of methods have been used to derive LSP metrics from
time series of reflectance measurements acquired by satellite-borne sensors. In
contrast to conventional phenology observations, LSP metrics represent the timing
of reflectance changes that are driven by the aggregate activity of vegetation
within the areal unit measured by the satellite sensor and do not directly provide
information about the phenology of individual plants, species, or their phenophases. Despite the generalized nature of satellite sensor-derived measurements,
they have proven useful for studying changes in LSP associated with various
phenomena. This chapter provides a detailed overview of the use of satellite
remote sensing to monitor LSP. First, the theoretical basis for the application of
satellite remote sensing to the study of vegetation phenology is presented. After
establishing a theoretical foundation for LSP, methods of deriving and validating
LSP metrics are discussed. This chapter concludes with a discussion of major
research findings and current and future research directions.
J. M. Hanes (&)
Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
e-mail: jmhanes@uwm.edu
L. Liang
Department of Geography, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
J. T. Morisette
North Central Climate Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO, USA
J. M. Hanes (ed.), Biophysical Applications of Satellite Remote Sensing,
Springer Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-25047-7_4,
Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
99