The general aim of our research on mangroves is to utilize of remote sensing methods in the mangrove canopy characterization and to create a model of the mangrove forest reflectance. Specific objectives include:
- Identification of different mangrove canopy characteristic that are measurable from remote sensing systems
- Development of different remote sensing techniques that can be used to measure mangrove canopy characteristics
- Application of the canopy reflectance model in the interpretation of satellite imagery
- Quantification of the relative importance of parameters that govern reflectivity of mangrove canopies
- Measurement and field survey to supplement model needs
- Utilization of acquired remotely-sensed data to illustrate applicability and performance of the model
The figures below show the measurement approach and the results (Click to enlarge). Multidirectional reflectance measurements (left) were performed on a mangrove tree using a visible-near infrared spectrometer equipped with a tilt sensor and camera/video. This data is used to simulate the signal coming from a remotely-sensed data (right).