Process / pipelineForest Ecology
Canopy Gap Fraction
Canopy gap fraction quantifies the proportion of sky visible through the forest canopy, expressed as a percentage. Developed to measure light availability in the understory, it is a standard metric in forest ecology for characterizing canopy structure and microhabitat conditions. This measure is essential for understanding light-limited photosynthesis and seedling establishment in closed-canopy forests.
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Sources
- Machado, J.-L., & Reich, P. B. (1999). Evaluation of several measures of canopy openness. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 29(9), 1439–1444. DOI: 10.1139/x99-075 ↗
- Scarff, F. R., & Westoby, M. (2006). Leaf litter flammability in some semi-arid Australian woodlands and grasslands. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 15(2), 169–180. DOI: 10.1071/WF05086 ↗