Performance Check of Vegetation Fluorescence Imaging Lidar through In Vivo and Remote Estimation of Chlorophyll Concentration Inside Plant Leaves

Laser-induced fluorescence imaging lidar was developed for in vivo plant/vegetation monitoring. Fluorescences of poplar tree leaves growing naturally at a distance of 60 m from the lidar were successfully detected as two spectral images at wavelengths of 685 nm and 740 nm. By comparing chlorophyll concentration quantified with high performance liquid chromatography, it was confirmed that the intensity ratio of the two wavelengths was converted into the chlorophyll concentration inside the leaves. The intensity ratio of the images reflected the status of the poplar tree in the process of senescence so well that it was possible to assess the living status of the tree as a numerical value. The performance characteristics and the potential of the laser-induced fluorescence imaging lidar for monitoring the physiological activities of plants and vegetation are described.