Photon Transport in Discontinuous Canopies: A Weighted Random Approach

Abstract

In its most general sense, remote sensing is the science of deducing information about a surface or medium by measuring radiation that has been emitted or scattered by that surface or medium. Specifically, remote sensing usually implies measurements of the earth. With the advent of sensors aboard aircraft and satellites, the potential to acquire information about the earth’s surface and resources increased on an unprecedented scale. The realization of that potential involves building the necessary links between surface characteristics and emanating radiation. This chapter contains a discussion of the relationship between the structure of vegetation and the measured brightness of that vegetation as viewed from above. In particular, how does the angle of view and the angle of illumination affect the brightness of a vegetative canopy?