Mapping tree and shrub leaf area indices in an ombrotrophic peatland through multiple endmember spectral unmixing

Leaf area index (LAI) is an important parameter used by most process-oriented ecosystem models. LAI of forest ecosystems has routinely been mapped using spectral vegetation indices (SVI) derived from remote sensing imagery. The application of SVI-based approaches to map LAI in peatlands presents a challenge, mainly due to peatlands characteristic multi-layer canopy comprising shrubs and open, discontinuous tree canopies underlain by a …