Polarization model for discrimination of broad and needle shaped leaves and estimation of LAI using polarization measurements

Method for estimation of Leaf Area Index (LAI) based on polarized radiance measurements is proposed. Leaf angle dependency on LAI estimation can be taken into account by considering polarization characteristics of leaves. Effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed with the polarized radiance from tealeaves and the other needle leaf types of grasses. Convenient way to monitor quality and amount of leaves with network camera with polarization film is also proposed.