{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]],"date-time":"2025-10-15T10:33:48Z","timestamp":1760524428976,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"22","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,13]],"date-time":"2022-11-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1668297600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Department of Natural Resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Iran"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Leaf area index (LAI), one of the most crucial vegetation biophysical variables, is required to evaluate the structural characteristic of plant communities. This study, therefore, aimed to evaluate the LAI of ecoregions in Iran obtained using Sentinel-2B, Landsat 8 (OLI), MODIS, and AVHRR data in June and July 2020. A field survey was performed in different ecoregions throughout Ardabil Province during June and July 2020 under the satellite image dates. A Laipen LP 100 (LP 100) field-portable device was used to measure the LAI in 822 samples with different plant functional types (PFTs) of shrubs, bushes, and trees. The LAI was estimated using the SNAPv7.0.4 (Sentinel Application Platform) software for Sentinel-2B data and Google Earth Engine (GEE) system\u2013based EVI for Landsat 8. At the same time, for MODIS and AVHRR, the LAI products of GEE were considered. The results of all satellite-based methods verified the LAI variations in space and time for every PFT. Based on Sentinel-2B, Landsat 8, MODIS, and AVHRR application, the minimum and maximum LAIs were respectively obtained at 0.14\u20131.78, 0.09\u20133.74, 0.82\u20134.69, and 0.35\u20132.73 for shrubs; 0.17\u20135.17, 0.3\u20132.3, 0.59\u20133.84, and 0.63\u20133.47 for bushes; and 0.3\u20134.4, 0.3\u20134.5, 0.7\u20134.3, and 0.5\u20133.3 for trees. These estimated values were lower than the LAI values of LP 100 (i.e., 0.4\u20134.10 for shrubs, 1.6\u20137.7 for bushes, and 3.1\u20136.8 for trees). A significant correlation (p &lt; 0.05) for almost all studied PFTs between LP 100-LAI and estimated LAI from sensors was also observed in Sentinel-2B (|r| &gt; 0.63 and R2 &gt; 0.89), Landsat 8 (|r| &gt; 0.50 and R2 &gt; 0.72), MODIS (|r| &gt; 0.65 and R2 &gt; 0.88), and AVHRR (|r| &gt; 0.59 and R2 &gt; 0.68). Due to its high spatial resolution and relatively significant correlation with terrestrial data, Sentinel-2B was more suitable for calculating the LAI. The results obtained from this study can be used in future studies on sustainable rangeland management and conservation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/rs14225731","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,14]],"date-time":"2022-11-14T04:24:10Z","timestamp":1668399850000},"page":"5731","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Multisensor Assessment of Leaf Area Index across Ecoregions of Ardabil Province, Northwestern Iran"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Lida","family":"Andalibi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Natural Resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil 56199-11367, Iran"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7201-1225","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ardavan","family":"Ghorbani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Natural Resources, Water Management Research Center, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil 56199-11367, Iran"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7512-0574","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roshanak","family":"Darvishzadeh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands"}]},{"given":"Mehdi","family":"Moameri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Natural Resources, Water Management Research Center, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil 56199-11367, Iran"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6960-2876","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zeinab","family":"Hazbavi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Natural Resources, Water Management Research Center, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil 56199-11367, Iran"}]},{"given":"Reza","family":"Jafari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Natural Resources, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran"}]},{"given":"Farid","family":"Dadjou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Natural Resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil 56199-11367, Iran"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2403","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/erg263","article-title":"Ground-based measurements of leaf area index: A review of methods, instruments and current controversies","volume":"54","author":"Breda","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. 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