Potential applications of near infra-red hemispherical imagery in forest environments

Hemispherical photography is commonly used in studies investigating the light environment beneath the forest canopy. This paper documents a methodology to adapt a standard digital camera to take hemispherical images in the near infra-red. These images can then be post processed to calculate sky-view factors, branch/bole-view factors and foliage-view factors. The further potential of the instrument is then demonstrated by combining the near infra-red images with standard visible images to produce a hemispherical NDVI image. Further discussion is also given to the potential applicability of the techniques above the forest canopy.