Measuring Leaf Area Index under Any Sky Condition

Leaf area index, also known as LAI, is the ratio of leaf surface area to ground surface area.  When comparing above-ground plant biomass, LAI is often an important variable.  The LAI-2200C Plant Canopy Analyzer measures light transmission through a canopy to provide an accurate and non-destructive calculation of LAI. A new development uses the position of the sun to minimize the effect of light scattering on the LAI measurement, which increases the accuracy in a variety of canopy types and sky conditions.