Relationships between spectral reflectance and biophysical characteristics of degraded shrublands

We aim to monitor vegetation succession in an area of ecological disturbance using multispectral satellite imagery. To this end, we have investigated the effect of vegetation type and density on spectral reflectance and vegetation indices. Mixtures of gravel, soil, cryptograms and dead vegetation constitute the non green component in our study site, making fractional vegetation cover difficult to assess. The green vegetation varies in canopy and community structure from grasslands, through shrublands to forest, which also creates challenges in the use of vegetation indices. We found that major structural vegetation types can be separated using measures of greenness - related to total leaf area index - and brightness - related to canopy shading and soil characteristics.