Dr. Peng Zhu's recent publication in Nature Ecology & Evolution

Structural complexity biases vegetation greenness measures

Vegetation is a crucial part of terrestrial ecosystems and an important indicator of climate change. A recent study conducted by researchers from HKU in collaboration with international teams revealed the structural complexity of vegetation may influence satellites' remote sensing monitoring. They found that several major VIs from satellite observation over the U.S. corn belt are higher than those over the Amazon rainforest, despite the latter having more leaf area. The contradicting pattern underscores the need to understand the structural complexity. This study brought new insights into the remote sensing monitoring of vegetation greenness, and provided a scientific basis for future research on vegetation and climate change.

Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-023-02187-6