Kergoat, L.; Hiernaux, P.; Dardel, C.; Pierre, C.; Guichard, F.; Kalilou, A. (2015). Dry-season vegetation mass and cover fraction from SWIR1.6 and SWIR2.1 band ratio: Ground-radiometer and MODIS data in the Sahel. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATION AND GEOINFORMATION, 39, 56-64.

Abstract
The potential of the short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands to detect dry-season vegetation mass and cover fraction is investigated with ground radiometry and MODIS data, confronted to vegetation data collected in rangeland and cropland sites in the Sahel (Senegal, Niger, Mali). The ratio of the 1.6 and 2.1 mu m bands (called STI) acquired with a ground radiometer proved well suited for grassland mass estimation up to 2500 kg/ha with a linear relation (r(2) = 0.89). A curvilinear regression is accurate for masses ranging up to 3500 kg/ha. STI proved also well suited to retrieve vegetation cover fraction in crop fields, fallows and rangelands. Such dry-season monitoring, with either ground or satellite data, has important applications for forage, erosion risk and fire risk assessment in semi-arid areas. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI:
10.1016/j.jag.2015.02.011

ISSN:
0303-2434