Light scattering by leaf layers with application to canopy reflectance modeling: The SAIL model

Abstract

The scattering and extinction coefficients of the SAIL canopy reflectance model are derived for the case of a fixed arbitrary leaf inclination angle and a random leaf azimuth distribution. The SAIL model includes the uniform model of G. H. Suits as a special case and its main characteristics are that canopy variables such as leaf area index and the leaf inclination distribution function are used as input parameters and that it provides more realistic angular profiles of the directional reflectance as a function of the view angle or the solar zenith angle. © 1984.