Can biophysical properties of submersed macrophytes be determined by remote sensing?
- Univ. of Edinburgh (United Kingdom)
- Univ. of Palermo, Sicily (Italy); and others
This paper details the development of a computationally efficient Monte Carlo simulation program to model photon transport through submersed plant canopies, with emphasis on Seagrass communities. The model incorporates three components: the transmission of photons through a water column of varying depth and turbidity; the interaction of photons within a submersed plant canopy of varying biomass; and interactions with the bottom substrate. The three components of the model are discussed. Simulations were performed based on measured parameters for Posidonia oceanica and compared to measured subsurface reflectance spectra made over comparable seagrass communities in Sicilian coastal waters. It is shown that the output is realistic. Further simulations are undertaken to investigate the effect of depth and turbidity of the overlying water column. Both sets of results indicate the rapid loss of canopy signal as depth increases and water column phytoplankton concentrations increase. The implications for the development of algorithms for the estimation of submersed canopy biophysical parameters are briefly discussed.
- OSTI ID:
- 478165
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970319--; CNN: Grant GR9/02233
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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