Mapping FPAR in China with modis time-series data based on the Wide Dynamic Range Vegetation Index

The time series of the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) derived by remote sensing are widely used to monitor vegetation and estimate vegetation productivity. This study, the Wide Dynamic Range Vegetation Index (WDRVI) based on the 16-day NDVI of MODIS product was employed to estimate time series of FPAR in China from 2000 to 2011. In addition the MODIS collection 5 products of FPAR (MOD15A2) in China were used to compare in two different views: the spatial patterns analysis and the linear relationship analysis. An application was also used to analyze the relationship between the WDRVI FPAR and crop yield derived from China´s CropWatch System in China. The result showed that there were similar spatial patterns and good relationships between the MODIS FPAR and WDRVI FPAR among most vegetation type although the MODIS FPAR was slightly larger than the WDRVI FPAR. A good relationship between the trend of WDRVI FPAR and the trend of crop yield has been observed which demonstrated that it had a potential for crop yield estimation.