Measuring the response of canopy emissivity spectra to leaf area index variation using thermal hyperspectral data

- Canopy emissivity spectra varies with leaf area index (LAI) variation.
- Positive correlation exists between canopy emissivity spectra and LAI.
- Plant species with similar LAI have statistically different emissivity spectra.
- Emissivity spectra has potential for LAI retrieval.

One of the plant biophysical factors affecting the canopy spectral reflectance of plants in the optical domain to receive research attention in recent decades is leaf area index (LAI). Although it is expected that the value of LAI affects the emission of radiation, it not known how. To our knowledge, the effect of LAI on plant canopy emissivity spectra has not yet been investigated in the thermal infrared region (TIR 8-14 μm). The overall aim of this study was to demonstrate the effect of LAI on canopy emissivity spectra of different species at the nadir position. The 279 spectral wavebands in the TIR domain were measured under controlled laboratory condition using a MIDAC spectrometer for four plant species. The corresponding LAI of each measurement was destructively calculated. We found a positive correlation between canopy emissivity spectra at various LAI values, indicating that emissivity increases concomitantly with LAI value. The canopy emissivity spectra of the four species were found to be statistically different at various wavebands even when the LAI values of the species were similar. It seems that other biophysical or biochemical factors also contribute to canopy emissivity spectra: this merits further investigation. We not only quantify the role of LAI on canopy emissivity spectra for the first time, but also demonstrate the potential of using hyperspectral thermal data to estimate LAI of plant species.