Sensitivity and Correlation Analysis of PROSPECT-D and ABM-B Leaf Models

Two leaf optical property models, PROSPECT-D and ABM-B, were compared to determine their respective parameter sensitivities and to correlate their parameters. ABM-B was used to generate 150 leaf spectra with various input parameters, and the inversion of PROSPECT-D was used to estimate leaf parameters from these spectra. Wavelength-specific sensitivities were described, and correlations were developed between the leaf pigments and structure parameters of the two models. Of particular importance was the correlation of PROSPECT-D's structure parameter ( N ) which is a generalized parameter integrating several leaf-level and cell-level characteristics. At the leaf-level, N showed correlations with the leaf thickness and the mesophyll percentage, and at the cell-level, N was affected by the cell cap aspect ratios defined in ABM-B. The estimated value of N also varied substantially with changes in the angle of incidence specified in ABM-B. All of these correlations were nonlinear, and it is unclear how these parameters are combined to affect the final value for N . The correlations developed in this article indicate that additional structural parameters (possibly separated into leaf-level and cell-level) should be considered in future model development that aims to maintain inversion potential while providing more information about the leaf.