Forest ecosystem modeling in the Russian Far East using vegetation and land-cover regions identified by classification of GVI.

Forest ecosystem models are an important tool for estimating carbon pools and fluxes in the terrestrial biosphere. Models can provide dynamic estimates through time and can predict the results of changes in forest management practices or changes in the forest ecosystem resulting from natural disturbances. Vegetation and landcover regions identified through unsupervised classification of Global Vegetation Index (GVI) data provide an appropriate ecosystem and species description for model input parameters. The timing and magnitude of photosynthesis as indicated by NDVI observed from four year average monthly GVI composites were used to identify 42 distinct regions of the former Soviet Union (FSU). Model predictions for carbon pools in test sites located in the Amur region of Russia compared well to carbon estimates made using other techniques.