Title
Usability of time-lapse digital camera images to detect characteristics of tree phenology in a tropical rainforest.
Abstract
We evaluated the usability of the red (R), green (G), and blue (B) digital numbers (DNRGB) extracted from daily phenological images of a tropical rainforest in Malaysian Borneo. We examined temporal patterns in the proportions of DNR, DNG, and DNB as percentages of total DN (denoted as %R, %G and %B), in the hue, saturation, and lightness values in the HSL color model, and in a green excess index (GEI) of the whole canopy and of individual trees for 2years. We also examined temporal patterns in the proportions of the red, green, and blue reflectance of the whole canopy surface as percentages of total reflectance (denoted as %ref_R, %ref_G, and %ref_B), and vegetation indices (the normalized-difference vegetation index, enhanced vegetation index, and green–red vegetation index) of the whole canopy by using daily measurements from quantum sensors. The temporal patterns of %RGB and saturation of individual trees revealed the characteristics of tree phenology caused by flowering, coloring, and leaf flushing. In contrast, those of the whole canopy did not, nor did those of %ref_R, %ref_G, or %ref_B, or the vegetation indices. The temporal patterns of GEI, however, could detect differences among individual trees caused by leaf flushing and coloring. Our results show the importance of installing multiple time-lapse digital cameras in tropical rainforests to accurately evaluate the sensitivity of tree phenology to meteorological and climatic changes. However, more work needs to be done to adequately describe whole-canopy changes.
Year
DOI
Venue
2016
10.1016/j.ecoinf.2016.01.006
Ecological Informatics
Keywords
Field
DocType
Phenological observations,Green excess index,Digital camera,Tropical rainforest,Near-surface remote-sensing,Normalized difference vegetation index
Ecology,Vegetation,Tropical rainforest,Computer science,Hue,Normalized Difference Vegetation Index,Enhanced vegetation index,Phenology,Rainforest,Canopy
Journal
Volume
ISSN
Citations 
32
1574-9541
1
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.38
10
8
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Shin Nagai1409.01
Tomoaki Ichie210.38
Aogu Yoneyama310.38
Hideki Kobayashi4225.19
Tomoharu Inoue510.71
Reiichiro Ishii610.38
Rikie Suzuki7294.93
Takao Itioka810.38