A global systematic review of the remote sensing vegetation indices
Vegetation indices (VIs), with the advantages of being easy to understand, simple form, and robust, have emerged as a pivotal and widespread tool for monitoring and assessing vegetation health and dynamics. Decades of research have produced numerous VIs, broadening their use and impact across variou...
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| Format: | Article |
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Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843225002079 |
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| author | Kai Yan Si Gao Guangjian Yan Xuanlong Ma Xiuzhi Chen Peng Zhu Jinhua Li Sicong Gao Jean-Philippe Gastellu-Etchegorry Ranga B. Myneni Qiao Wang |
| author_facet | Kai Yan Si Gao Guangjian Yan Xuanlong Ma Xiuzhi Chen Peng Zhu Jinhua Li Sicong Gao Jean-Philippe Gastellu-Etchegorry Ranga B. Myneni Qiao Wang |
| author_sort | Kai Yan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vegetation indices (VIs), with the advantages of being easy to understand, simple form, and robust, have emerged as a pivotal and widespread tool for monitoring and assessing vegetation health and dynamics. Decades of research have produced numerous VIs, broadening their use and impact across various fields, but possibly overwhelming users with too many options. This study conducted a bibliometric review of VI-related literature in the web of science (WOS) database since 1986, examining current trends and issues in data sources, geographic areas, eco-functional areas, applications, and technical methods. It also analyzed the correlation among 86 VIs from global satellite data and assessed the sensitivity of 16 VIs to different parameters using radiative transfer model simulations at leaf and canopy scales. This review revealed that (1) VI research accelerated since 1986, particularly after 2012, largely due to the availability of earth-observing satellite data and new VIs. (2) The central concern of VI is its sensitivity to vegetation parameters, with recent interest in complex terrain effects. (3) VI is difficult to distinguish structural and spectral information. Optimization of soil-adjusted vegetation indices (OSAVI) has the highest sensitivity to leaf area index (LAI), and Sentinel-2 red edge position (S2REP) has the highest sensitivity to chlorophyll among the 16 selected VIs. Overall, VI performance depends on band selection and formula, with an ideal VI balancing sensitivity to vegetation and interference resistance. VI Selection should be tailored to user needs, focusing on relevant vegetation parameters and the study area’s conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1a02f928b1554ac29ebbdd1f2a680ba1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1569-8432 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation |
| spelling | doaj-art-1a02f928b1554ac29ebbdd1f2a680ba12025-08-20T03:49:42ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation1569-84322025-05-0113910456010.1016/j.jag.2025.104560A global systematic review of the remote sensing vegetation indicesKai Yan0Si Gao1Guangjian Yan2Xuanlong Ma3Xiuzhi Chen4Peng Zhu5Jinhua Li6Sicong Gao7Jean-Philippe Gastellu-Etchegorry8Ranga B. Myneni9Qiao Wang10State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Corresponding authors.State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Corresponding authors.State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaCollege of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China; Center for Remote Sensing of Ecological Environments in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, ChinaSchool of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519082, ChinaDepartment of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaCSIRO, Environment, Waite Campus, Adelaide, SA 5064, AustraliaCentre d’Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphere, Toulouse 31400, FranceDepartment of Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USAState Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaVegetation indices (VIs), with the advantages of being easy to understand, simple form, and robust, have emerged as a pivotal and widespread tool for monitoring and assessing vegetation health and dynamics. Decades of research have produced numerous VIs, broadening their use and impact across various fields, but possibly overwhelming users with too many options. This study conducted a bibliometric review of VI-related literature in the web of science (WOS) database since 1986, examining current trends and issues in data sources, geographic areas, eco-functional areas, applications, and technical methods. It also analyzed the correlation among 86 VIs from global satellite data and assessed the sensitivity of 16 VIs to different parameters using radiative transfer model simulations at leaf and canopy scales. This review revealed that (1) VI research accelerated since 1986, particularly after 2012, largely due to the availability of earth-observing satellite data and new VIs. (2) The central concern of VI is its sensitivity to vegetation parameters, with recent interest in complex terrain effects. (3) VI is difficult to distinguish structural and spectral information. Optimization of soil-adjusted vegetation indices (OSAVI) has the highest sensitivity to leaf area index (LAI), and Sentinel-2 red edge position (S2REP) has the highest sensitivity to chlorophyll among the 16 selected VIs. Overall, VI performance depends on band selection and formula, with an ideal VI balancing sensitivity to vegetation and interference resistance. VI Selection should be tailored to user needs, focusing on relevant vegetation parameters and the study area’s conditions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843225002079Vegetation indicesRemote sensingEcologicalSensitivity analysisSystematic literature review |
| spellingShingle | Kai Yan Si Gao Guangjian Yan Xuanlong Ma Xiuzhi Chen Peng Zhu Jinhua Li Sicong Gao Jean-Philippe Gastellu-Etchegorry Ranga B. Myneni Qiao Wang A global systematic review of the remote sensing vegetation indices International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation Vegetation indices Remote sensing Ecological Sensitivity analysis Systematic literature review |
| title | A global systematic review of the remote sensing vegetation indices |
| title_full | A global systematic review of the remote sensing vegetation indices |
| title_fullStr | A global systematic review of the remote sensing vegetation indices |
| title_full_unstemmed | A global systematic review of the remote sensing vegetation indices |
| title_short | A global systematic review of the remote sensing vegetation indices |
| title_sort | global systematic review of the remote sensing vegetation indices |
| topic | Vegetation indices Remote sensing Ecological Sensitivity analysis Systematic literature review |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843225002079 |
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