About the project
Terrestrial vegetation plays a major role in the climate system through primary productivity by photosynthesis and respiration, recycling of precipitation, and soil formation. Two essential climate variables (ECVs) that describe the state of the vegetation are the Leaf Area Index (LAI) and fraction of incident surface solar radiation in the photosynthetically active region (0.4-0.7 μm) absorbed by vegetation (FAPAR). Consistent, global time series of LAI and FAPAR can provide insight into the dynamic role of vegetation in the Earth's climate.
