Application of NOAA AVHRR for monitoring vegetation conditions and biomass in Jordan

Monitoring vegetation of arid and semi-arid zones by remote sensing can help natural resource management. Techniques previously used in Africa are applied to monitor vegetation conditions and productivity in Jordan. The historical normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data were extracted from the FAO ARTEMIS and NASA PAL archives, and processed to stratify the major vegetation zones of Jordan. Statistical distribution of the NDVI for each 10-day period of the year was extracted for each vegetation zone, and quartile probability ranges were used to define four classes of vegetation condition, represented as vegetation productivity indicators (VPI). Images of NOAA LAC were acquired from the local receiving station at the Meteorological Department of Jordan and processed in real time to produce VPI maps that detected the temporal variations in vegetation condition in different parts of the country. In the second part of the research, vegetation productivity of grazing reserves was correlated against the NDVI derived from LAC images. A significant correlation was found between the above-ground biomass of shrubs and the NDVI derived from NOAA LAC images. The study clearly showed the suitability of NOAA AVHRR data for monitoring vegetation conditions and productivity in Jordan.