Water content estimation from hyperspectral images and MODIS indexes in Southeastern Arizona

Hyperspectral water retrievals from AVIRIS data, equivalent water thickness (EWT), were compared to in situ leaf water content and LAI measurements at a semiarid site in southeastern Arizona. Retrievals of EWT showed good correlation with field canopy water content measurements. Statistical analysis suggested that EWT was significantly different among seven community types, from savanna to agriculture. Four band–ratio indexes (NDVI, EVI, NDWI, and NDII) were derived from MODIS showing strong spatial agreement between maps of AVIRIS EWT and MODIS indexes, and good statistical agreement for the range of habitats at the site. Temporal patterns of these four indexes in all vegetation communities except creosote bush and agriculture showed distinct seasonal patterns that responded to the timing and amount of precipitation. Moreover, these time series captured different ecological responses among the different vegetation communities.