Vegetation variables are important for evaluating the status and temporal processes of vegetated land surfaces. Using the AVHRR reflectance data it is possible to derive such vegetation variables consistently over large regions (regional and continental) and for long time periods.
The Fraction of Vegetation Cover (FVC) corresponds to the fraction of ground covered by green vegetation and ranges between 0 % and 100 %. With the FVC the spatial extent of vegetation is quantified, without accounting for multi-layer characteristics of a vegetation canopy (Carslon & Ripley 1997). Within TIMELINE statistical relationships between the NDVI and the FVC will be used to retrieve the FVC. Here, specific, unique relationships will be used for vegetated land cover classes of Europe.
Example of the FVC product from August 1990.
References:
Carlson TN & Ripley DA (1997) On the relation between NDVI, fractional vegetation cover, and leaf area index. Remote Sensing of Environment, 62, 241-252