Remote sensing of biomass and annual net aerial primary productivity of a salt marsh

• Published in: Remote sensing of environment 1984-01, Vol.16 (2), p.91-106
• Main Authors: Hardisky, Michael A., Daiber, Franklin C., Roman, Charles T., Klemas, Vytautas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Brackish; Earth Resources And Remote Sensing; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects. Techniques; Marine; Spartina alterniflora; Teledetection and vegetation maps
• ISSN: 0034-4257; 1879-0704
• DOI: 10.1016/0034-4257(84)90055-5

Spectral radiance data, simulating bands, 3, 4, and 5 of the Landsat 4 thematic mapper, were collected with a hand-held radiometer in a Delaware Spartina alterniflora salt marsh. Previously developed regression models were used to estimate live and dead biomass from canopy radiance data. Spectral radiance data were expressed as vegetation or infrared index values. Biomass estimates computed from the models were in close agreement with biomass estimates determined from harvesting during most of the growing season. Both dead biomass and soil background reflectance attenuated vegetation index biomass predictions, whereas only dead biomass reflectance attenuated infrared index biomass predictions. As a result, the infrared index yielded biomass means more similar to harvest biomass means in low live biomass areas, and the vegetation index yielded mean biomass estimates more similar to harvest biomass means in high live biomass areas. Annual net aerial primary productivity (NAPP) estimates computed from spectral radiance data were generally within 10% of similar NAPP estimates computed from harvest biomass data.