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Snowy backgrounds enhance the absorption of visible light in forest canopies
Author(s) -
Pinty B.,
Widlowski J.L.,
Verstraete M. M.,
Andredakis I.,
Arino O.,
Clerici M.,
Kaminski T.,
Taberner M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2010gl046417
Subject(s) - absorption (acoustics) , remote sensing , environmental science , visible spectrum , optics , physics , geology
The fraction of radiation absorbed in the canopy depends on the amount and angular distribution of the solar irradiance reaching the top of the canopy as well as the fraction of this irradiance that is transmitted through the canopy gaps and reflected back to the vegetation by the background. This contribution shows that the presence of snow on forest floors enhances the fraction of absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR). A global analysis of satellite‐derived products reveals that this enhancement affects evergreen and deciduous forests of the boreal zone. This snow‐related effect may usefully contribute to the photosynthesis process in evergreen forests especially during spring time when radiation conditions are marginal but other physiological constraints (such as temperature) permit the necessary biochemical functions to take place.