Search Results (3)

Vegetation dynamics in the Hulun Lake Basin (HLB), a vulnerable grassland–wetland–forest transition zone in Northeastern Inner Mongolia, North China, are sensitive to climate change, but traditional greenness metrics like the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) lack process-level insights. Using the GIMMS NDVI3g dataset (1982–2015) and meteorological data, this study analyzed the spatiotemporal dynamics of the NDVI and vegetation NDVI change rate (VNDVI)—a metric quantifying greening and browning speeds via NDVI temporal variation—employing linear regression and partial correlation analyses. The NDVI exhibited an overall significant upward trend of +0.0028 yr⁻¹ (p < 0.05) across more than 70% of the basin, indicating a persistent greening tendency. The VNDVI revealed an accelerated spring greening rate of +0.8% yr⁻¹ (p < 0.05) and a slowed autumn browning rate of −0.6% yr⁻¹ (p < 0.05), reflecting an extended growing season. Spatial correlation analysis showed that the temperature dominated spring greening (r = 0.52), precipitation governed summer growth (r = 0.64), and solar radiation modulated autumn senescence (r = 0.38). Compared with the NDVI, the VNDVI was more sensitive to both climatic fluctuations and anthropogenic disturbances, highlighting its utility in capturing process-level vegetation dynamics. These findings provide quantitative insights into the mechanisms of vegetation change in the HLB and offer scientific support for ecological conservation in North China’s grassland–forest ecotone. Full article

High-resolution NDVI maps derived from UAV imagery are valuable in precision agriculture, supporting vineyard management decisions such as disease risk and vigor assessments. However, the expense and complexity of multispectral sensors limit their widespread use. In this study, we evaluate Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) approaches—trained on either multispectral-derived or true RGB data—to convert low-cost RGB imagery into NDVI maps. We benchmark these models against simpler, explainable RGB-based indices (RGBVI, vNDVI) using Botrytis bunch rot (BBR) risk and vigor mapping as application-centric tests. Our findings reveal that both multispectral- and RGB-trained GANs can generate NDVI maps suitable for BBR risk modelling, achieving R-squared values between 0.8 and 0.99 on unseen datasets. However, the RGBVI and vNDVI indices often match or exceed the GAN outputs, for vigor mapping. Moreover, model performance varies with sensor differences, vineyard structures, and environmental conditions, underscoring the importance of training data diversity and domain alignment. In highlighting these sensitivities, this application-centric evaluation demonstrates that while GANs can offer a viable NDVI alternative in some scenarios, their real-world utility is not guaranteed. In many cases, simpler RGB-based indices may provide equal or better results, suggesting that the choice of NDVI conversion method should be guided by both application requirements and the underlying characteristics of the subject matter. Full article

A_VNDVI (Accumulative Visible Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), a new type of derivative parameters of NDVI, was set up by improving the computational formulas and importing the spectral information of visible bands after analyzing the construction idea of NDVI and its derivative parameters. Then, the characteristic values of VNDVI (Visible NDVI) were calculated by applying a combinational method of sensitive bands of visible bands. The study carried out the fitting analysis between NDVI, VNDVI, A_VNDVI, and LAI (Leaf Area Index). Several conclusions are obtained according to data analysis. Firstly, all of the determination coefficients between NDVI, VNDVI, A_VNDVI, and LAI of rapeseed can reach or exceed 0.83. The distribution of their RMSE values ranges from 0.4 to 0.5 and absolute values of RE vary from 0.9% to 2.1%. Secondly, the inversion sensitivity S_V of VNDVI and LAI ranges from 0.7 to 1.9 relative to NDVI, and the inversion sensitivity S_A of A_VNDVI decreases in varying degrees with the promotion of capacity of resisting disturbance accordingly. Its value varies from 0.1 to 0.9. Thirdly, the values of S_A remain stable between 0.1 and 0.3 with the increase of NDVI. Applying the inversion model of A_VNDVI will be a considerable scheme when faced with a complex environment and many interfering factors. Full article