- 1Ben-Gurion University of the Negev., Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Wyler Department of Agriculture, Israel
- 2Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
- 3Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization
- 4The Hebrew University, Institute of Environmental Sciences
- 5Southern Arava R&D
Leaf Area Index (LAI), the total one-sided area of leaves per unit ground area is an
important parameter in fields of science such as agriculture, ecology, forestry among
other fields of science as leaf surfaces are the main areas for energy and mass
exchange. Direct measurement of Leaf Area Index (LAI) can be destructive or time-
consuming, leading to the development of indirect methods. These approaches often
require field personnel or rely on satellites, which may have limited temporal resolution
for certain applications. Recognizing that more leaves on a plant can enhance energy
canopy interception and potentially lower soil surface energy, we aimed to explore the
relationship between Leaf Area Index (LAI) and soil temperature response. We grew
processing tomatoes (H4107) in southern Arava, Israel, and monitored Leaf Area Index
(LAI) using a Sentinel-2 based model, along with soil temperatures directly beneath the
plant at 15 cm and 30 cm depths throughout the season. In addition to a decrease in
calculated soil surface temperature amplitude with increase in LAI, the results showed a
strong linear relationship between the LAI and the minimum temperature difference
between the two depths (R 2 ~ 0.7). These findings indicate a potentially low-cost, high
temporal resolution approach to estimate LAI from soil data.
How to cite: Mugendi Muthamia, K., Berliner, P., Rozenstein, O., Tas, E., Raij Hofman, I., and Lazarovitch, N.: A Bio-Physical Model for Estimating Leaf Area Index (LAI) UsingSoil Measurements., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7257, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7257, 2025.
