Remote Sensing of Vegetation Structural and Biochemical Parameters: Retrieval, Measurement, Validation, and Application

Dear Colleagues,

Vegetation structural and biochemical parameters—such as leaf area index (LAI), canopy height, fractional vegetation cover (FVC), leaf chlorophyll (LCC), carotenoid content (LCar), nitrogen concentration, and biomass—are fundamental for ecosystem monitoring, carbon budget assessment, and the study of climate–vegetation feedbacks. With recent advances in remote sensing, these parameters can now be estimated at increasingly finer spatial and temporal resolutions by integrating multi-source observations. Current research highlights several frontiers, including three-dimensional (3D) mapping of vegetation traits through multi-platform data (satellite, UAV, tower-based, and ground-based measurements), the generation of high-resolution products with time-series reconstruction, and cross-scale validation across diverse ecosystems.

This Special Issue particularly encourages submissions that explore innovative developments in the retrieval of vegetation structural and biochemical traits. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Novel algorithms for plant trait retrieval and 3D trait mapping;
• Multi‑platform observational experiments and new instrument designs;
• Generation of high‑resolution vegetation products and time‑series reconstruction;
• Validation and intercomparison of retrieval algorithms or vegetation products;
• Ecosystem monitoring applications based on multi‑platform observations.

While structural and biochemical parameters remain the focus, submissions covering broader functional or process-driven traits—such as gross primary productivity (GPP), net primary productivity (NPP), water content, or phenological dynamics—are also encouraged.

Dr. Hu Zhang
Dr. Baodong Xu
Prof. Dr. Yelu Zeng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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