Forest condition assessment through analyzing relations between meteorological parameters describing climate changes and vegetation indices derived from low-resolution satellite data

NOAA AVHRR satellite data were applied for studying relationships between vegetation indices derived from these images and meteorological parameters describing climate changes, in order to assess forest condition. Five forests areas located in various parts of Poland located in various climatic zones, characterized by different tree species were used for this purpose. 15-years database of NOAA AVHRR images and meteorological data was utilized in this work. The conducted study revealed, that there is distinct relation between meteorological situation, described by temperature and precipitation and NDVI index derived from low resolution satellite data. This conclusion is supported with results of ground measurements and high-resolution satellite data analyzed for selected forest areas.