<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Canopy gap fraction has been estimated from hemispherical images using a thresholding method to separate sky and canopy pixels. The optimal objective thresholding rule has been searched by many authors without satisfactory results due to long list of reasons. Some recent studies have shown that unprocessed readings of camera CCD or CMOS sensor (raw data) have linear relationship with incident radiation. This allows a pair of cameras used in similar to a pair of plant canopy analyzers and canopy gap fraction can be calculated as the ratio of below canopy image and above canopy image. We tested new freeware program HemiSpherical Project Manager (HSP) for the restoration of the above canopy image from below canopy image which allows making field measurements with single below canopy operated camera. Results of perforated panel image analysis and comparison of plant area index (PAI) estimated independently by three operators from real canopy hemispherical images showed high degree of reliability of the new approach. Determination coefficients of linear regression of the PAI estimations of the three operators were 0.9962, 0.9875 and 0.9825. The canopy gap fraction data obtained from HSP were used to validate Nobis-Hunziker automatic thresholding algorithm. The results indicated that the Nobis-Hunziker algorithm underestimated PAI from out of camera JPEG images and overestimated PAI from raw data.</p></abstract>

Canopy gap fraction has been estimated from hemispherical images using a thresholding method to separate sky and canopy pixels. The optimal objective thresholding rule has been searched by many authors without satisfactory results due to long list of reasons. Some recent studies have shown that unprocessed readings of camera CCD or CMOS sensor (raw data) have linear relationship with incident radiation. This allows a pair of cameras used in similar to a pair of plant canopy analyzers and canopy gap fraction can be calculated as the ratio of below canopy image and above canopy image. We tested new freeware program HemiSpherical Project Manager (HSP) for the restoration of the above canopy image from below canopy image which allows making field measurements with single below canopy operated camera. Results of perforated panel image analysis and comparison of plant area index (PAI) estimated independently by three operators from real canopy hemispherical images showed high degree of reliability of the new approach. Determination coefficients of linear regression of the PAI estimations of the three operators were 0.9962, 0.9875 and 0.9825. The canopy gap fraction data obtained from HSP were used to validate Nobis-Hunziker automatic thresholding algorithm. The results indicated that the Nobis-Hunziker algorithm underestimated PAI from out of camera JPEG images and overestimated PAI from raw data.

Restoration of above canopy reference hemispherical image from below canopy measurements for plant area index estimation in forests/ Metsa võrastiku läbipaistvuse mõõtmine digitaalsete poolsfäärikaamerate abil

Tartu Observatory, 61602 Tõravere, Tartumaa, Estonia

Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, Tartu 51014, Estonia

Tartu Observatory, 61602 Tõravere, Tartumaa, Estonia;

Forestry Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Canopy gap fraction has been estimated from hemispherical images using a thresholding method to separate sky and canopy pixels. The optimal objective...

Restoration of above canopy reference hemispherical image from below canopy measurements for plant area index estimation in forests/ Metsa võrastiku läbipaistvuse mõõtmine digitaalsete poolsfäärikaamerate abil

Published Online: Dec 30, 2014

Page range: 13 - 27

Received: Apr 14, 2014

Accepted: May 28, 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fsmu-2013-0008

© 2015

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.