Continuous depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer has resulted in an increase in ultraviolet-B (UV-B; 280-315 nm) radiation on the earth's surface which inhibits photochemical and photobiological processes. However, certain photosynthetic organisms have evolved mechanisms to counteract the toxicity of ultraviolet or high photosynthetically active radiation by synthesizing the UV-absorbing/s...

This study presents the application of a Light Use Efficiency model that exploits MODIS satellite data to assess rice yield in Italy. Field experimental data acquired in 2003 and 2004 were used to define model’s parameters (Radiation Use Efficiency and Harvest Index) and to calibrate the relation between MODIS-EVI and the fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fAPAR). Satelli...

Methods: Experimental plots (4 m) were planted with seedlings of four grassland species arranged into increasingly larger groups (patches) of conspecific individuals while controlling plot-scale richness and evenness. Available light (photosynthetically active radiation; PAR) at the soil surface was measured each month for three growing seasons after planting. Species’ relative abundances were ...

Deforestation and forest degradation from human land use, including primary loss, are of growing concern. The conservation old-growth other forests with important environmental values is central to many international initiatives aimed at protecting biodiversity, mitigating climate change impacts, supporting sustainable livelihoods. Current remote-sensing products largely focus on deforestation ...

The fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR) is a key parameter for estimating the gross primary production (GPP) trees. For continuous, dense forest canopies, fAPAR, often equated with intercepted fraction, fIPAR. This assumption not valid individual trees in urban environments or parkland settings where canopy sparse and there are well-defined tree crown boundaries. He...