This project tested a method to enable regional scale, spatial and temporal quantification of water use of plantations and other land uses in the Green Triangle based on remote sensing of vegetation temperature linked to continuous measurements of vegetation water use over a range of sites.
Because vegetation temperature is strongly influenced by air temperature, and because the latter varies throughout the day, measurement of vegetation temperature alone is of no value when attempting to estimate transpiration rates. It is essential to measure air temperature at the same time. However, as the short-term fluctuations in transpiration rates were large it is impossible to obtain reliable estimates of spatial variation in instantaneous transpiration sensed remotely from an aircraft.
Reference Number:
PN04.4010
