Biophysical Focus Area Contributions to International Structures
GCOS
The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) is an international organization charged with defining the observational requirements for Earth Climate Variables (ECVs). GCOS goal requirements for LAI and fAPAR were set as follows (GCOS-245):
| Variable/Parameter | Horizontal Resolution | Temporal Resolution | Latency | Required Measurement Uncertainty | Stability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAI | 10 m | 1 day | 1 day | 10% for values ≥ 0.5; 0.05 (abs value) for < 0.5 |
< 3% m2/m2/decade |
| Fapar | 10 m | 1 day | 1 day | 5% for values ≥ 0.05; 0.0025 (abs value) for < 0.05 |
< 1.5% |
GTOS LAI and fAPAR ECV Reports and Fact Sheets
Gobron, N. and M. Verstraete. 2009. Leaf Area Index, ECV-T11: GTOS Assessment of the status of the development of standards for the Terrestrial Essential Climate Variables, ed., R. Sessa, FAO, Rome. Factsheet
Gobron, N. and M. Verstraete. 2009. Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation, ECV-T10: GTOS Assessment of the status of the development of standards for the Terrestrial Essential Climate Variables, ed., R. Sessa, FAO, Rome. Factsheet
FRM4VEG (Fiducial Reference Measurements for Vegetation)
The aim of ESA's FRM4VEG project is to establish the protocols required for traceable in situ measurements of vegetation-related parameters, to support the validation of satellite vegetation products. The project aims to develop techniques for applying, insofar as is possible, the FRM concept to in situ measurements of three vegetation-related parameters. These are surface reflectance, the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR) and canopy chlorophyll content.
QA4ECV
Nadine Gobron, of JRC and a former co-lead for the LPV fAPAR focus area, is deputy leader of WP5 (Validation of multi-decadal ECV data using the QA system).
Links to Measurement Networks
- ImagineS : Implementation of Multi-scale Agricultural Indicators Exploiting Sentinels
- NEON: National Ecological Observatory Network (US Only)
- ICOS: Integrated Carbon Observation System (Europe)
- EnviroNet
