Assessment of MODIS imagery to track light-use efficiency in a water-limited Mediterranean pine forest

Daily values of gross primary production (GPP) derived from an eddy-covariance flux tower have been used to analyze the information content of the MODIS Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) on the light-use efficiency (ε). The study has been conducted in a Mediterranean Pinus pinaster forest showing summer water stress. Advanced processing techniques have been used to analyze the effect of various external factors on ε and PRI temporal variations. The intra-annual correlation between these two variables has been found to be mostly attributable to concurrent variations in sun and view zenith angles. The PRI has been normalized from these angular effects (NPRI), and its ability to track ecosystem ε response to prolonged summer water limitations has been analyzed. The observed shift between ε and NPRI reveals that, for the study area and at MODIS spatial resolution, NPRI is informative on changes in pigments and canopy structure related to the vegetation response to prolonged water stress.

► GPP data from a flux tower are used to estimate the canopy light-use efficiency ε. ► Seasonal variations in ε and PRI are partly due to changes in sun and view angles. ► Statistical methods are used to normalize PRI (NPRI) from those angular effects. ► NPRI becomes informative on inter-annual ε variability due to water stress. ► A shift is observed between ε and NPRI signals.