Estimating fractional vegetation cover at the subpixel scale in a semiarid region using a statistical mixture model and remotely sensed data

The semiarid Sahel of West Africa has been subject to increased degradation in recent decades. In order to utilize remotely sensed data to monitor surface changes over time, it is necessary to develop and test methods for deriving quantitative information on surface components which typically occur as mixtures at the sub-pixel scale. In this preliminary study, the broad band spectra of surface components in the HAPEX-Sahel study area were analyzed for their potential affects on spectral mixture models of remotely sensed data. Non-linear spectral interactions between the woody canopy and substrate (soil and herbaceous layer) were also examined.