CALIBRATION OF NDVI EUCALYPTUS FOREST PLANTATIONS 
Alexandre Grimaldi Castro 
Aracruz Celulose S.A. 
Geréncia de Recursos Ambientais 
Rod. ES 010, Ed. Torre da Praia, Coqueiral 
29195-000 - Aracruz, ES, Brazil 
ISPRS Commission VII / Working Group 3 
ABSTRACT 
Calibration of NDVI is proceeded through a comparative analysis of field and orbital derived data, intending 
to define precise monitoring parameters of productivity and Leaf Area Index (LAI). These indices are 
designed to provide basic parameters to simulation models of agrometeorology and microclimatology. The 
procedure correspond to the collection of data conceming biomass production (forest inventory) and estimates 
of Leaf Area Index using a Plant Canopy Analyser (LI-COR). Multivariate analysis are applied to assess the 
correspondence of orbital data (NDVI) with those collected at field level. The first estimates show some 
correlations indicating the possibility of the operational use of orbital data to monitor and assess forest 
productivity and health. Some points of noncorrespondence must be derived from observed variations of 
moisture and soil types, although these parameters had been currently considered in the multivariate analysis. 
Another class of statistical residuous could be related to plant physiological aspects like age, clone material 
and architecture of individual trees and stands, which require some changes in the experimental design. 
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