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REMOTE SENSING OF VEGETATION BY ITS REFLECTANCE SPECTRA 
Ranga B. Myneni 
Forrest G. Hall 
Piers J. Sellers 
Alexander L. Marshak 
Biospheric Sciences Branch 
Mail Code 923 
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA 
ISPRS Commission VII / Working Group 1 
ABSTRACT 
Empirical studies report several plausible correlations between of spectral reflectance, called vegetation 
indices, and parameters descriptive of vegetation leaf area, biomass and physiological functioning. 
However, most indices can be generalized to show a derivative of surface reflectance with respect to 
wavelength. This derivative is a function of the optical properties of leaves and soil particles. In the case 
of optically dense vegetation, the spectral derivative, and thus the indices, is indicative of the abundance 
and activity of the absorbers in the leaves. Therefore, the widely used broad-band red/near-infrared - 
vegetation indices are a measure of chlorophyll abundance and energy absorption. 
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