SEASONAL CHANGES IN NEAR INFRARED REFLECTANCE RATIO AND SANDING CROP BIOMASS IN A SALT MARSH COMMUNITY DOMINATED BY <i>HALIMIONE PORTULACOIDES</i> (L.) AELLEN

Abstract

S ummary Near infrared (715 to 1000 nm) reflected radiation and standing crop biomass were measured in a Halimione portulacoides shrub community during the growing seasons of 1975 and 1976. The amount of near infrared radiation that was reflected was strongly correlated with the total standing crop of photosynthetic tissue. During the growing season of 1977 the quantity of near infrared radiation reflected from the vegetation was used to predict the amount of standing crop of photosynthetic tissue in the community. The predicted values were within 10 % of the measured values obtained by the use of a harvest technique. In addition the amount of reflected near infrared radiation was found to be strongly correlated with leaf area index of the vegetation.