Application of the model inversion method for LAI estimation to the airborne multi-spectral and multi-angle data

Toward accurate leaf area index (LAI) estimation for the regional scales in topographically complicated vegetation surfaces, a practical model inversion method is developed. This method is applied to the airborne multi-angle and multi-spectral data acquired over needle forests for LAI estimation. Although some inversion results are quite good, all inversion results tend to rather underestimate the LAI values. In spite of the lack of sufficient bidirectional reflectance factor data in the case of the Zushi area, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, the inversion method for LAI estimation gives a reasonable accuracy.