AngleCam: Predicting the temporal variation of leaf angle distributions from image series with deep learning

Abstract Vertical leaf angles and their variation through time are directly related to several ecophysiological processes and properties. However, there is no efficient method for tracking leaf angles of plant canopies under field conditions. Here, we present AngleCam, a deep learning‐based approach...

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Main Authors: Teja Kattenborn, Ronny Richter, Claudia Guimarães‐Steinicke, Hannes Feilhauer, Christian Wirth
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-11-01
Series:Methods in Ecology and Evolution
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13968
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author Teja Kattenborn
Ronny Richter
Claudia Guimarães‐Steinicke
Hannes Feilhauer
Christian Wirth
author_facet Teja Kattenborn
Ronny Richter
Claudia Guimarães‐Steinicke
Hannes Feilhauer
Christian Wirth
author_sort Teja Kattenborn
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Vertical leaf angles and their variation through time are directly related to several ecophysiological processes and properties. However, there is no efficient method for tracking leaf angles of plant canopies under field conditions. Here, we present AngleCam, a deep learning‐based approach to predict leaf angle distributions from horizontal photographs acquired with low‐cost timelapse cameras. AngleCam is based on pattern recognition with convolutional neural networks and trained with leaf angle distributions obtained from visual interpretation of more than 2500 plant photographs across different species and scene conditions. Leaf angle predictions were evaluated over a wide range of species and scene conditions using independent samples from visual interpretation (R2 = 0.84) and compared to leaf angle estimates obtained from terrestrial laser scanning (R2 = 0.75). AngleCam was tested for the long‐term monitoring of leaf angles for two broadleaf tree species in a temperate forest. The plausibility of the predicted leaf angle time series was underlined by its close relationship with environmental variables related to transpiration. The evaluations confirm that AngleCam is a robust and efficient method to track leaf angles under field conditions. The output of AngleCam is compatible with a range of applications, including functional‐structural plant modelling, Earth system modelling or radiative transfer modelling of plant canopies. AngleCam may also be used to predict leaf angle distributions for existing data, for instance from PhenoCam networks citizen science projects.
format Article
id doaj-art-46b3e4c0a229442ca236e8b2d2adbf44
institution Kabale University
issn 2041-210X
language English
publishDate 2022-11-01
publisher Wiley
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series Methods in Ecology and Evolution
spelling doaj-art-46b3e4c0a229442ca236e8b2d2adbf442025-08-20T03:45:07ZengWileyMethods in Ecology and Evolution2041-210X2022-11-0113112531254510.1111/2041-210X.13968AngleCam: Predicting the temporal variation of leaf angle distributions from image series with deep learningTeja Kattenborn0Ronny Richter1Claudia Guimarães‐Steinicke2Hannes Feilhauer3Christian Wirth4Remote Sensing Centre for Earth System Research (RSC4Earth) Leipzig University Leipzig GermanyGerman Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig GermanyRemote Sensing Centre for Earth System Research (RSC4Earth) Leipzig University Leipzig GermanyRemote Sensing Centre for Earth System Research (RSC4Earth) Leipzig University Leipzig GermanyGerman Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig GermanyAbstract Vertical leaf angles and their variation through time are directly related to several ecophysiological processes and properties. However, there is no efficient method for tracking leaf angles of plant canopies under field conditions. Here, we present AngleCam, a deep learning‐based approach to predict leaf angle distributions from horizontal photographs acquired with low‐cost timelapse cameras. AngleCam is based on pattern recognition with convolutional neural networks and trained with leaf angle distributions obtained from visual interpretation of more than 2500 plant photographs across different species and scene conditions. Leaf angle predictions were evaluated over a wide range of species and scene conditions using independent samples from visual interpretation (R2 = 0.84) and compared to leaf angle estimates obtained from terrestrial laser scanning (R2 = 0.75). AngleCam was tested for the long‐term monitoring of leaf angles for two broadleaf tree species in a temperate forest. The plausibility of the predicted leaf angle time series was underlined by its close relationship with environmental variables related to transpiration. The evaluations confirm that AngleCam is a robust and efficient method to track leaf angles under field conditions. The output of AngleCam is compatible with a range of applications, including functional‐structural plant modelling, Earth system modelling or radiative transfer modelling of plant canopies. AngleCam may also be used to predict leaf angle distributions for existing data, for instance from PhenoCam networks citizen science projects.https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13968convolutional neural networksecophysiologyleaf anglesleaf inclinationleaf tiltplant movement
spellingShingle Teja Kattenborn
Ronny Richter
Claudia Guimarães‐Steinicke
Hannes Feilhauer
Christian Wirth
AngleCam: Predicting the temporal variation of leaf angle distributions from image series with deep learning
Methods in Ecology and Evolution
convolutional neural networks
ecophysiology
leaf angles
leaf inclination
leaf tilt
plant movement
title AngleCam: Predicting the temporal variation of leaf angle distributions from image series with deep learning
title_full AngleCam: Predicting the temporal variation of leaf angle distributions from image series with deep learning
title_fullStr AngleCam: Predicting the temporal variation of leaf angle distributions from image series with deep learning
title_full_unstemmed AngleCam: Predicting the temporal variation of leaf angle distributions from image series with deep learning
title_short AngleCam: Predicting the temporal variation of leaf angle distributions from image series with deep learning
title_sort anglecam predicting the temporal variation of leaf angle distributions from image series with deep learning
topic convolutional neural networks
ecophysiology
leaf angles
leaf inclination
leaf tilt
plant movement
url https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13968
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AT ronnyrichter anglecampredictingthetemporalvariationofleafangledistributionsfromimageserieswithdeeplearning
AT claudiaguimaraessteinicke anglecampredictingthetemporalvariationofleafangledistributionsfromimageserieswithdeeplearning
AT hannesfeilhauer anglecampredictingthetemporalvariationofleafangledistributionsfromimageserieswithdeeplearning
AT christianwirth anglecampredictingthetemporalvariationofleafangledistributionsfromimageserieswithdeeplearning