Spectral polarization characteristics of optical radiation reflected from leaves subjected to unfavorable ecological factors

Angle distributions of the degree and azimuth of polarization of radiation scattered by individual leaves were measured. The polarization characteristics of the reflected radiation were investigated at four radiation wavelengths (460, 550, 680, and 740 nm) and angles of exposure of leaves to light of 60–70°. The experiments were performed with leaves of maples (Acer platonoides) at different stages of vegetation and withering. More than 1000 distributions of the spectral polarization characteristics of the reflected radiation were obtained for maple leaves taken from regions with different ecological conditions during 1993–1995 It was established that the spectral polarization characteristics of the radiation scattered by a leaf markedly change with the state of the leaf. Belarusian State University, 4, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220080, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 1, pp. 107–113, January–February, 1998.