{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,25]],"date-time":"2026-04-25T09:50:22Z","timestamp":1777110622057,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2016,3,25]],"date-time":"2016-03-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1458864000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"abstract":"<jats:p>We present the first comparison between new fAPAR and LAI products derived from the GlobAlbedo dataset and the widely-used MODIS fAPAR and LAI products. The GlobAlbedo-derived products are produced using a 1D two-stream radiative transfer (RT) scheme designed explicitly for global parameter retrieval from albedo, with consistency between RT model assumptions and observations, as well as with typical large-scale land surface model RT schemes. The approach does not require biome-specific structural assumptions (e.g., cover, clumping, understory), unlike more detailed 3D RT model approaches. GlobAlbedo-derived values of fAPAR and LAI are compared with MODIS values over 2002\u20132011 at multiple flux tower sites within selected biomes, over 1200 \u00d7 1200 km regions and globally. GlobAlbedo-derived fAPAR and LAI values are temporally more stable than the MODIS values due to the smoothness of the underlying albedo, derived via optimal estimation (assimilation) using an a priori estimate of albedo derived from an albedo \u201cclimatology\u201d (composited multi-year albedo observations). Parameters agree closely in timing but with GlobAlbedo values consistently lower than MODIS, particularly for LAI. Larger differences occur in winter (when values are lower) and in the Southern hemisphere. Globally, we find that: GlobAlbedo-derived fAPAR is ~0.9\u20131.01 \u00d7 MODIS fAPAR with an intercept of ~0.03; GlobAlbedo-derived LAI is ~0.6 \u00d7 MODIS LAI with an intercept of ~0.2. Differences arise due to the RT model assumptions underlying the products, meaning care is required in interpreting either set of values, particularly when comparing to fine-scale ground-based estimates. We present global transformations between GlobAlbedo-derived and MODIS products.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/rs8040275","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,3,29]],"date-time":"2016-03-29T16:00:28Z","timestamp":1459267228000},"page":"275","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":39,"title":["A New Global fAPAR and LAI Dataset Derived from Optimal Albedo Estimates: Comparison with MODIS Products"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2407-4026","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mathias","family":"Disney","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Geography, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK"},{"name":"NERC National Center for Earth Observation (NCEO), Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5077-3736","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jan-Peter","family":"Muller","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Imaging Group, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Department of Space and Climate Physics, University College London, Holmbury St Mary, London RH5 6NT, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Said","family":"Kharbouche","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Imaging Group, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Department of Space and Climate Physics, University College London, Holmbury St Mary, London RH5 6NT, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Thomas","family":"Kaminski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Inversion Lab, Martinistr. 21, Hamburg 20251, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Michael","family":"Vo\u00dfbeck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Inversion Lab, Martinistr. 21, Hamburg 20251, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9047-9179","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Philip","family":"Lewis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Geography, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK"},{"name":"NERC National Center for Earth Observation (NCEO), Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bernard","family":"Pinty","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"EC Commission, Joint Research Center, Institute for Environment and Sustainability Joint Research Center, Via E. Fermi 2749, Ispra (VA) 21027, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,3,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"126","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2015.05.027","article-title":"GEOCLIM: A global climatology of LAI, FAPAR, and FCOVER from VEGETATION observations for 1999\u20132010","volume":"166","author":"Verger","year":"2015","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1560","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1082750","article-title":"Climate-driven increases in global terrestrial net primary production from 1982 to 1999","volume":"300","author":"Nemani","year":"2003","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1038\/ngeo2093","article-title":"Terrestrial carbon cycle affected by non-uniform climate warming","volume":"7","author":"Xia","year":"2014","journal-title":"Nat. Geosci."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"28","DOI":"10.2307\/1942049","article-title":"(1995) Relationships between NDVI, canopy structure and photosynthesis in three Californian Vegetation Types","volume":"5","author":"Gamon","year":"1995","journal-title":"Ecol. Appl."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1380","DOI":"10.1109\/36.649788","article-title":"Estimation of global leaf area index and absorbed PAR using radiative transfer models","volume":"35","author":"Myneni","year":"1997","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"275","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2007.02.018","article-title":"LAI, fAPAR and fCOVER CYLCOPES global products derived from VEGETATION: Part 1: Principles of algorithm","volume":"110","author":"Baret","year":"2007","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32257","DOI":"10.1029\/98JD02462","article-title":"Synergistic algorithm for estimating vegetation canopy leaf area index and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation from MODIS and MISR data","volume":"103","author":"Knyazikhin","year":"1998","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res."},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"Knyazikhin, Y., Glassy, J., Privette, J.L., Tian, Y., Lotsch, A., Zhang, Y., Wang, Y., Morisette, J.T., Votava, P., and Myneni, R.B. Running MODIS Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation Absorbed by Vegetation (FPAR) Product (MOD15), Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD) 1999, Available online: https:\/\/lpdaac.usgs.gov\/products\/modis_products_table\/mcd15a2 and http:\/\/modis.gsfc.nasa.gov\/data\/atbd\/atbd_mod15.pdf."},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"European Space Agency (ESA) GlobAlbedo Project. Available online: http:\/\/www.globalbedo.org."},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"ESA Water Cycle Observation Multi-mission Strategy\u2014EvapoTranspiration (WACMOS-II) Project. Available online: http:\/\/wacmoset.estellus.eu\/."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"191","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1466-822X.2003.00026.x","article-title":"Global synthesis of leaf area index observations: Implications for ecological and remote sensing studies","volume":"12","author":"Anser","year":"2003","journal-title":"Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"421","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-3040.1992.tb00992.x","article-title":"Defining leaf area index for non-flat leaves","volume":"15","author":"Chen","year":"1992","journal-title":"Plant Cell Environ."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ross, J. (1981). The Radiation Regime and the Architecture of Plant Stands, W. Junk Publ.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-94-009-8647-3"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liang, S. (2004). Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surfaces, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.","DOI":"10.1002\/047172372X"},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"Fernandes, R., Plummer, S., and Nightingale, J. CEOS (2014) Committee on Earth Observation Satellites Working Group on Calibration and Validation: Land Product Validation Sub-Group, Global Leaf Area Index Product Validation: Good Practices, Available online: http:\/\/lpvs.gsfc.nasa.gov\/documents.html."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"LI-COR LAI 2200c Plant Canopy Analyser. Available online: http:\/\/www.licor.com\/env\/products\/leaf_area\/LAI-2200\/."},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"Delta-T SunScan Canopy Analysis System. Available online: http:\/\/www.delta-t.co.uk\/product-display.asp?id=SS1%20Product&div=Plant%20Science."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1016\/j.agrformet.2003.08.027","article-title":"Methods for leaf area index determination Part I: Theories, techniques and instruments","volume":"121","author":"Jonckheere","year":"2004","journal-title":"Agric. For. Meteorol."},{"key":"ref_19","first-page":"17","article-title":"Methods for in situ leaf area index measurement, Part II: From gap fraction to leaf area index: Retrieval methods and sampling strategies","volume":"121","author":"Weiss","year":"2004","journal-title":"Agric. For. Meteorol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pinty, B., Lavergne, T., Dickinson, R.E., Widlowski, J.-L., Gobron, N., and Verstraete, M.M. (2006). Simplifying the Interaction of Land Surfaces with Radiation for Relating Remote Sensing Products to Climate Models. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 111.","DOI":"10.1029\/2005JD005952"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"447","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2005.05.003","article-title":"Global derivation of the vegetation clumping index from multi-angular satellite data","volume":"97","author":"Chen","year":"2005","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Widlowski, J.-L., Pinty, B., Clerici, M., Dai, Y., De Kauwe, M., de Ridder, K., Kallel, A., Kobayashi, H., Lavergne, T., and Ni-Meister, W. (2011). RAMI4PILPS: An intercomparison of formulations for the partitioning of solar radiation in land surface models. J. Geophys. Res., 116.","DOI":"10.1029\/2010JG001511"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2008","DOI":"10.1109\/TGRS.2005.853718","article-title":"Using 1-D models to interpret the reflectance anisotropy of 3-D targets: Issues and caveats","volume":"43","author":"Widlowski","year":"2005","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"603","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1466-8238.2011.00712.x","article-title":"Terrestrial ecosystems from space: A review of earth observation products for macroecology applications","volume":"21","author":"Pfeifer","year":"2012","journal-title":"Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"225","DOI":"10.1080\/02757250009532420","article-title":"Numerical experiments on spatial scaling of land surface albedo and leaf area index","volume":"19","author":"Liang","year":"2000","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Rev."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"971","DOI":"10.1007\/s10980-009-9367-3","article-title":"Upscaling as ecological information transfer: A simple framework with application to Arctic ecosystem carbon exchange","volume":"24","author":"Stoy","year":"2009","journal-title":"Landsc. Ecol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3357","DOI":"10.3390\/rs5073357","article-title":"Harmonization of Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) from Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer Instrument (MERIS)","volume":"5","author":"Ceccherini","year":"2013","journal-title":"Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bojinski, S., Verstraete, M.M., Peterson, T.C., Simmons, A., and Zemp, M. (2014). The concept of Essential Climate Variables in support of climate research, applications, and policy. Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc.","DOI":"10.1175\/BAMS-D-13-00047.1"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"D10116","DOI":"10.1029\/2006JD008105","article-title":"Retrieving surface parameters for climate models from MODIS and MISR albedo products","volume":"112","author":"Pinty","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res. Atmos."},{"key":"ref_30","first-page":"D09106","article-title":"Exploiting the MODIS albedos with the Two-stream Inversion Package (JRC-TIP) Part I: Effective Leaf Area Index, Vegetation and Soil properties","volume":"116","author":"Pinty","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res."},{"key":"ref_31","first-page":"D09106","article-title":"Exploiting the MODIS albedos with the Two-stream Inversion Package JRC-TIP) Part II: Fractions of transmitted and absorbed fluxes in the vegetation and soil layers","volume":"116","author":"Pinty","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res."},{"key":"ref_32","unstructured":"GlobAlbedo Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD). Available online: http:\/\/www.globalbedo.org\/docs\/GlobAlbedo_Albedo_ATBD_V4.12.pdf."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"095003","DOI":"10.1088\/0266-5611\/26\/9\/095003","article-title":"An inverse radiative transfer model of the vegetation canopy based on automatic differentiation","volume":"26","author":"Clerici","year":"2010","journal-title":"Inverse Probl."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bischof, C., B\u00fccker, H.M., Hovland, P.D., Naumann, U., and Utke, J. (2008). Advances in Automatic Differentiation, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-540-68942-3"},{"key":"ref_35","unstructured":"Network Common Data Form (NetCDF). Available online: http:\/\/www.unidata.ucar.edu\/software\/netcdf\/."},{"key":"ref_36","unstructured":"MODIS Grids, Available online: http:\/\/modis-land.gsfc.nasa.gov\/MODLAND_grid.html."},{"key":"ref_37","unstructured":"FLUXNET, Available online: http:\/\/fluxnet.ornl.gov\/."},{"key":"ref_38","unstructured":"LP DAAC, Available online: https:\/\/lpdaac.usgs.gov\/products\/modis_products_table\/mcd15a2."},{"key":"ref_39","unstructured":"GlobAlbedo Subsetting Tool. Available online: http:\/\/www.globalbedo.org\/roi_v2.php."},{"key":"ref_40","unstructured":"MODIS LAI, FPAR Collection 005 Changes, Available online: http:\/\/landweb.nascom.nasa.gov\/QA_WWW\/forPage\/C005_Changes_LAI_FPAR.pdf."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1347","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2007.05.020","article-title":"Assimilating Canopy Reflectance data into an Ecosystem Model with an Ensemble Kalman Filter","volume":"112","author":"Quaife","year":"2008","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"219","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2011.12.027","article-title":"An Earth Observation Land Data Assimilation System (EO-LDAS)","volume":"120","author":"Lewis","year":"2012","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1873","DOI":"10.5194\/bg-11-1873-2014","article-title":"Do we (need to) care about canopy radiation schemes in DGVMs? Caveats and potential impacts","volume":"11","author":"Loew","year":"2014","journal-title":"Biogeosciences"},{"key":"ref_44","unstructured":"MOD15 User Guide, Available online: https:\/\/lpdaac.usgs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/public\/product_documentation\/mod15_user_guide.pdf."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4834","DOI":"10.3390\/rs70404834","article-title":"Comparing the Dry Season In situ Leaf Area Index (LAI) Derived from High-Resolution RapidEye Imagery with MODIS LAI in a Namibian Savanna","volume":"5","author":"Mayr","year":"2015","journal-title":"Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_46","first-page":"219","article-title":"Woody plant cover estimation in drylands from Earth Observation based seasonal metrics","volume":"120","author":"Brandt","year":"2012","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"830","DOI":"10.3390\/rs5020830","article-title":"The Impact of Potential Land Cover Misclassification on MODIS Leaf Area Index (LAI) Estimation: A Statistical Perspective","volume":"5","author":"Fang","year":"2013","journal-title":"Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_48","first-page":"G04017","article-title":"Carbon cycle data assimilation with a generic phenology model","volume":"115","author":"Knorr","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res."},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3173","DOI":"10.5194\/bg-9-3173-2012","article-title":"Consistent assimilation of MERIS FAPAR and atmospheric CO2 into a terrestrial vegetation model and interactive mission benefit analysis","volume":"9","author":"Kaminski","year":"2012","journal-title":"Biogeosciences"},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sch\u00fcrmann, G.J., Kaminski, T., K\u00f6stler, C., Carvalhais, N., Vo\u00dfbeck, M., Kattge, J., Giering, R., R\u00f6denbeck, C., Heimann, M., and Zaehle, S. (2016). Constraining a land surface model with multiple observations by application of the MPI-Carbon Cycle Data Assimilation System. Geosci. Model Dev.","DOI":"10.5194\/gmd-2015-263"}],"container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-4292\/8\/4\/275\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T19:21:19Z","timestamp":1760210479000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-4292\/8\/4\/275"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2016,3,25]]},"references-count":50,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,4]]}},"alternative-id":["rs8040275"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/rs8040275","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-4292"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-4292","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2016,3,25]]}}}