Monitoring environmental impacts in ecosystems using NOAA/AVHRR

This report describes a project, carried out in the framework of the National Remote Sensing Programma (NRSP-2), under responsibility of the Netherlands Remote Sensing Board (BCRS). NOA polar-orbiting satellites provide information from an advanced very high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) which is usefull for monitoring the biomass, vigour and condition of crops and vegetation on the Earth's surface. The overall conclusion of this study is that the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is an independent, ready available, quantitivie indicator of the environment that could be easily implemented into an environmental monitoring system. The major reservation may be its quantification deficiency. Future research should therefor be directed to further quantify the NDVI as an environmental monitoring tool.