PRISM-21

Vegetation

experiment Overview 

The objectives of the intensive vegetation monitoring are: 

i) to characterise the paddocks monitored for soil moisture in the individual 3km × 3km focus areas, so as to describe all dominant vegetation types at various stages of maturity and vegetation water content for the purpose of radiometer modelling; and 

ii) to collect detailed plant structural parameters for selected vegetation types (agricultural and grazing) and to track the evolution of such parameters across the PRISM-21 campaign period, for the purpose of radar algorithm development. The data collected are expected to be comprehensive enough to perform forward modelling of L-/P-band radar backscatter using a discrete scatterer approach (in conjunction with surface parameters such as surface roughness and soil moisture).

 

Crop parameters to be monitored during the intensive sampling
 Field Parameters  Leaf Parameters  Stalk Parameters
 Plant Density  Leaves Water Content  Stalk VWC
 Plant Biomass  Leaves Width  Stalk Length
 Plant VWC  Leaves Length  Stalk diameter (bottom, mid, top)
 Row Orientation (crops)  Leaves Thickness  Stalk angle (bottom)
 Row Spacing (crops)  Leaves Angle (bottom, mid, top)  Plant Height
 Plant Spectral Data  Number of leaves per plant  
 Soil Moisture    
 Surface Roughness    

In addition to spatial soil moisture measurements, a range of supporting data are collected, which are needed as input to soil moisture retrieval algorithm. Such data include:

  • Land cover type;
  • Vegetation canopy height;
  • Visual observation of dew presence and characteristics;
  • Gravimetric soil moisture samples; and
  • Soil texture samples. 

Land cover type, vegetation canopy height and visual observations of dew presence is electronically recorded in the HDAS systems at each location where soil moisture measurements are taken. Soil gravimetric and textural samples is sampled only at certain selected locations.

Vegetation Sampling 

PLEASE NOTE: The following data sets should be acknowledged According to the following:

PRISM-21:

X. Wu, N. Ye, J. Walker, I.-Y. Yeo, T. Jackson, Y. Kerr, E. Kim and A. McGrath. (2021). The P-band Radiometer Inferred Soil Moisture Experiment 2021 WORKPLAN. Monash University, 136.