Simulation of maximum light use efficiency for some typical vegetation types in China

Maximum light use efficiency (emax) is a key parameter for the estimation of net primary productivity (NPP) derived from remote sensing data. There are still many divergences about its value for each vegetation type. The emax for some typical vegetation types in China is simulated using a modified least squares function based on NOAA/AVHRR remote sensing data and field-observed NPP data. The vegetation classification accuracy is introduced to the process. The sensitivity analysis of emax to vegetation classification accuracy is also conducted. The results show that the simulated values of emax are greater than the value used in CASA model, and less than the values simulated with BIOME-BGC model. This is consistent with some other studies. The relative error of emax resulting from classification accuracy is −5.5%–8.0%. This indicates that the simulated values of emax are reliable and stable.