%0 Articles
%T Boreal forest albedo and its spatial and temporal variation
%A Kuusinen, Nea
%D 2014
%J Dissertationes Forestales
%V 2014
%N 179
%R doi:10.14214/df.179
%U http://dissertationesforestales.fi/article/1962
%X Surface albedo refers to the fraction of shortwave solar irradiance that is reflected by a surface. Accurate characterisation of the albedo of various land cover types is required for evaluating the energy exchange between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. The optical and structural properties of a surface determine its albedo. Boreal forest albedo can vary due to factors such as tree species composition, forest structure, understorey vegetation composition, and seasonal changes in vegetation and snow cover.


The aim of this study was to characterise typical albedos of Finnish forests dominated by different tree species, evaluate the seasonal variation in forest albedo, and to estimate the effects of structural forest variables and understorey composition on forest albedo or spectral reflectance. To achieve these aims, forest albedo was measured in-situ using pyranometers, estimated from satellite data and calculated using a forest albedo model. Unmixing methods were used to estimate forest albedo from coarse spatial resolution MODIS albedo retrievals and understorey spectral reflectance from Landsat observations.


Mature or middle aged pine, spruce and broadleaved deciduous (mainly birch) forests had distinctly different albedos in both summer and winter. Coniferous forest albedo was lower and showed less seasonal variation than albedo in open areas or broadleaved deciduous forests. Albedo of pine was somewhat higher than that of spruce. Snow cover on the ground and canopy increased forest albedo. Young stands with an assumedly high proportion of deciduous species in the under- and overstorey were characterised by a higher albedo than the mature coniferous forests. The high albedo at early succession rapidly decreased as the forest matured. The forest floor was typically covered by green understorey vegetation with rather low albedo, which decreased the influence of a changing canopy cover or leaf area index (LAI) on forest albedo. The spectral reflectances of the understorey varied with site fertility and forest age.