Spatial distribution of net primary productivity and evapotranspiration in Changbaishan Natural Reserve, China, using Landsat ETM+ data

Remote sensing has been a useful tool to monitor net primary productivity (NPP) and evapotranspiration (ET). In this paper, based on field measurements and Landsat enhanced thematic mapper plus (ETM+) data, NPP and ET are estimated in 2001 in the Changbaishan Natural Reserve, China. Maps of land cover, leaf area index, and biomass of this forested region are first derived from ETM+ data. With these maps and additional soil texture and daily meteorological data, NPP and ET maps are produced for 2001 using the boreal ecosystem productivity simulator (BEPS). The results show that the estimated and observed NPP values for forest agree fairly well, with a mean relative error of 8.6%. The NPP of mixed forests is the highest, with a mean of 500 g C m–2·a–1, and that of alpine tundra and shrub is the lowest, with a mean of 136 g C m–2·a–1. Unlike the spatial pattern of NPP, the annual ET changes distinctly with altitude from greater than 600 mm at the foot of the mountain to about 200 mm at the top of the mountain. ET is highest for broadleaf forests and lowest for urban and built-up areas.