SAFARI 2000 Forest Leaf Area Index Measurements from Zambia

Leaf area index (LAI) measurements from the Kataba Local Forest in Zambia, collected to validate satellite products. The dataset contains monthly ground-based sensor readings taken along three transects from 2000 into 2002 to capture seasonal phenology. It was produced by NASA as part of the SAFARI 2000 and EOS Validation Core Site programs.

Use Cases

• Validating the accuracy of 1 km resolution MODIS LAI satellite products using ground-truth measurements.
• Analyzing the seasonal phenology of leaf area in a Zambian forest using monthly time-series data from 2000-2002.
• Studying spatial variability in canopy structure using data collected from three parallel 750-meter transects.
• Modeling light transmittance through forest canopies using five-angle sensor measurements of blue light intensity.

Strengths

• Provides direct ground validation for MODIS LAI, with reported close agreement between sensor data and satellite products.
• Captures temporal phenology with monthly measurements collected throughout the growing season over multiple years.
• Spatial sampling design uses three 750m transects to represent a 1 km MODIS pixel, improving site representativeness.
• Measurements are derived from a standardized instrument (LAI-2000) using a published calculation method (Welles and Norman, 1991).

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source, limiting preliminary analysis.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between platforms (2002-04-13 on NASA Earthdata and 2026-03 12 on Data.gov).
• The dataset's license is noted as 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov but is null on NASA Earthdata, requiring verification.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Ground-based measurements using an LAI-2000 instrument carried along three parallel 750m transects, with readings taken at 25m segment endpoints and processed to calculate effective leaf area.

Time Range

2000 to 2002

Freshness

2002-04-13 23:59:59.999000

Geography

EOS Validation Core Site in Kataba Local Forest, approximately 20 km south of Mongu, Zambia.