Estimation of leaf area index and shading of riparian forests using vegetation indices obtained by VANTs

Abstract

Riparian vegetation plays a crucial role in the functioning of stream ecosystems and the characteristics of water bodies. In order to analyze forests through remote sensing, this work aims to indirectly estimate structural parameters of regenerating riparian forests using high-resolution images obtained by VANTs in the region of São Luiz do Paraitinga - SP. For this purpose, data will be collected from three streams located in forests with different regeneration conditions in the Atlantic Forest biome. Data collection will be carried out through field measurements, where the leaf area index (LAI) will be measured using a ceptometer, and multispectral images will be taken using a multispectral camera attached to a DJI Phantom4 RTK VANT. The multispectral data will correspond to the blue, green, red, red-edge, and near-infrared bands, with which vegetation indices will be calculated. Subsequently, the aim is to establish a relationship between the vegetation indices, derived from various spectral metrics, and the Leaf Area Index (LAI) obtained through in situ measurements, with the purpose of assessing the validity of the analysis in riparian forest ecosystems adjacent to watercourses. This process not only involves understanding the interaction between vegetation parameters and the structure of the vegetation itself but also inferring how such relationships influence the dynamics and health of these riparian ecosystems