Research and application advances in leaf area index (LAI).

This paper reviewed the research and application advances of leaf area index (LAI),which was put forward in 1947,in plant photosynthesis,transpiration and their connection,productivity forming,carbon,energy and water flux of forest-stands at landscape and regional scales,in the growth model of forest ecosystem,and in the study of energy and water exchange with remote sensing techniques.As an important physiological parameter of population and community growth analysis,LAI has been extensively applied in agriculture,horticulture,forestry,biology and ecology.