Land Use > Leaf Area Index
Raster > Land Use > Leaf Area Index
Data Source: NASA Earth Observations > Leaf Area Index (1 month - Terra/MODIS)
Website: https://neo.gsfc.nasa.gov/view.php?datasetId=MOD15A2_M_LAI
Description
One of the key "vital signs" of Earth's vegetation is the total green leaf area for a given ground area. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites collects global Leaf Area Index (LAI) data on a daily basis. The map above shows the LAI for the time period indicated, expressed in terms of square meters of leaf area per square meter of ground area. Values range from 0 to 7 square meters of leaf area per square meter of land surface.
How can there be five square meters of leaf area in a one square meter area? Because the vegetation grows in layers above the ground. An LAI value of 5 means that there are five layers of leaves layers in that area. A value of less than 1 means that if you took all the leaves and laid them flat on the ground, there wouldn't be enough to cover a square meter.
Knowing the total leaf area in a plant canopy helps scientists determine how much water will be stored and released by an ecosystem, how much leaf litter it will generate, and how much photosynthesis is going on. Such information also helps scientists understand the flow of energy among the various layers of vegetation, the atmosphere, and the ground, which in turn affects climate.
What do the colors mean?
The colors in this palette range from tan, showing little or no leaf cover, to light green, indicating the area is entirely covered by one layer of leaves, to dark green showing thick forest canopies, where seven or more layers of leaves cover an area. Black means no data.
This Map Layer is a Raster Layer, so its Style cannot be changed. There are 12 overlays available: January-December, selectable through the 'Additional Layer Features' control on the 'Layers Menu'.