Effects of leaf aggregation in a broad-leaf canopy on estimates of leaf area index by the gap-fraction method

We compared leaf area index (LAI) estimates of a broad-leaf tropical hardwood, Metrosideros polymorpha Gaud (‘Ōhi’a), using a optical method (LI-COR LAI-2000) and direct determination (harvest and allometry). There was a strong correlation between LAI estimates by the two methods, but direct estimates were higher than the optical estimates by a factor of 2.44. The ratio of harvest leaf area to projected leaf area within twigs was similar (2.42) to that of whole plots, suggesting that aggregation of leaves at this scale of branching may account for most of the underestimate by the optical method. The within-branch ratio of actual to projected leaf area did not differ among three sites on three islands of varying land surface age but similar climate, suggesting that a correction factor determined by harvest could be used to adjust optical estimates of LAI in other M. polymorpha forests.