Understanding the optical responses of leaf nitrogen in Mediterranean Holm oak (Quercus ilex) using field spectroscopy

The direct estimation of nitrogen (N) in fresh vegetation is challenging due to its weak influence on leaf reflectance and the overlaps with absorption features of other compounds. Different empirical models relate in this work leaf nitrogen concentration ([N]Leaf) on Holm oak to leaf reflectance as...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pacheco-Labrador, Javier, González-Cascón, Rosario, Martin, M. Pilar, Riaño, David
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión enviada para evaluación y publicación
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/141219
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/141219
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Field spectroscopy
Leaf nitrogen
Quercus ilex
Spectral index
Descripción
Sumario:The direct estimation of nitrogen (N) in fresh vegetation is challenging due to its weak influence on leaf reflectance and the overlaps with absorption features of other compounds. Different empirical models relate in this work leaf nitrogen concentration ([N]Leaf) on Holm oak to leaf reflectance as well as derived spectral indices such as normalized difference indices (NDIs), the three bands indices (TBIs) and indices previously used to predict leaf N and chlorophyll. The models were calibrated and assessed their accuracy, robustness and the strength of relationship when other biochemicals were considered. Red edge was the spectral region most strongly correlated with [N]Leaf, whereas most of the published spectral indexes did not provide accurate estimations. NDIs and TBIs based models could achieve robust and acceptable accuracies (TBI1310,1720,730: R2 = 0.76, [0.64,0.86]; RMSE (%) = 9.36, [7.04,12.83]). These models sometimes included indices with bands close to absorption features of N bonds or nitrogenous compounds, but also of other biochemicals. Models were independently and inter-annually validated using the bootstrap method, which allowed discarding those models non-robust across different years. Partial correlation analysis revealed that spectral estimators did not strongly respond to [N]Leaf but to other leaf variables such as chlorophyll and water, even if bands close to absorption features of N bonds or compounds were present in the models.