Remote sensing inversion of eco-water resource quantity

Eco-water (layer) refers to the water body closely related to the ground vegetation layer. It is conserved in leaves, roots, vegetation humus layers and root soil layers, which is capable of precipitation interception and rivers and/or groundwater supplementation. As a challenging issue in the hydrological cycle field, the eco-water and its resource quantity are difficult to be quantified by ordinary methods. In this paper, experiments were performed at Maoergai area in the upper Minjiang River in China to examine properties, functions, spacial distributional characteristics and transfer rules of the eco-water (layer). Based on ecology, botany, hydrogeology, forest hydrology and genesis mechanism of remote sensing information, the information index system of the eco-water (layer) was proposed, together with conversion models between the ground parameters and the remote sensing information. The total eco-water quantity in the study area was calculated by the proposed remote sensing inversion model of the Modulus of Eco-water Conservation (MEC). Its spacial consistency with the water distributional statistics suggests a valid vegetation-centred quantitative remote sensing approach to develop hydrological cycle studies.