Empirical models for tracing seasonal changes in leaf area index in deciduous broadleaf forests by digital hemispherical photography

Accurate estimation of seasonal leaf area index (LAI) variations is essential for predicting forest growth, but rapid and reliable methods for obtaining such estimates have rarely been reported. In this study, direct measurements of LAI seasonal variations in deciduous broadleaf forests in China were made through leaf seasonality observations in the leaf-out season and litter collection in the leaf-fall season. Meanwhile, indirect LAI …