Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2008, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (3): 734-740.DOI: 10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2008.03.023

• Original article • Previous Articles    

REVIEW OF RETRIEVAL LIGHT USE EFFICIENCY USING PHOTOCHEMICAL REFLECTANCE INDEX (PRI)

WU Chao-Yang1,2, NIU Zheng1,*()   

  1. 1State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Institute of Remote Sensing Applications, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    2Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2007-04-24 Accepted:2007-09-19 Online:2008-05-30 Published:2008-05-30
  • Contact: NIU Zheng

Abstract:

Remote sensing technology has provided a rapid, nondestructive method for establishing relationships between photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and photosynthetic light use efficiency (LUE) that is an important parameter for estimating net primary productivity (NPP). Therefore, PRI opens a new era of estimating NPP that can overcome the shortcomings of the empirical model in obtaining LUE through information on temperature and water content. Many studies have demonstrated that a reliable relationship between PRI and LUE could be obtained at leaf, canopy and site scales. However, numerous confounding factors such as water content, leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf area index and sun zenith angle have emerged as scale changed, leading to disjunctive relationship betweenPRI and LUE. Thus, the functions of different factors on the relationship between PRI and LUE are important in understanding the mechanism for LUE estimation. This paper analyzes the confounding factors in establishing relationships between PRI and LUE and outlines possible improvements. Further research is needed on the different mechanism of reflectance at 526 nm and 545 nm relating to reflectance at 531 nm, the saturation problem of PRI with increase of LUE and the time and scale effects in estimating LUE with PRI.

Key words: photochemical reflectance index (PRI), light use efficiency (LUE), disturbance