Quantitative phenological observations of a mixed beech forest in northern Switzerland with digital photography


Quantitative phenological observations of a mixed beech forest

in northern Switzerland with digital photography

Hella Ellen Ahrends,
1
Robert Brügger,

1
Reto Stöckli,

2,3
Jürg Schenk,

1
Pavel Michna,

1

Francois Jeanneret,
1
Heinz Wanner,

1
and Werner Eugster

4

Received 12 November 2007; revised 2 April 2008; accepted 23 July 2008; published 9 October 2008.

[1] Vegetation phenology has a strong influence on the timing and phase of global
terrestrial carbon and water exchanges and is an important indicator of climate change and
variability. In this study we tested the application of inexpensive digital visible-light
cameras in monitoring phenology. A standard digital camera was mounted on a 45 m tall
flux tower at the Lägeren FLUXNET/CarboEuropeIP site (Switzerland), providing hourly
images of a mixed beech forest. Image analysis was conducted separately on a set of
regions of interest representing two different tree species during spring in 2005 and 2006.
We estimated the date of leaf emergence based on the levels of the extracted red, green and
blue colors. Comparisons with validation data were in accordance with the phenology of
the observed trees. The mean error of observed leaf unfolding dates compared with
validation data was 3 days in 2005 and 3.6 days in 2006. An uncertainty analysis was
performed and demonstrated moderate impacts on color values of changing illumination
conditions due to clouds and illumination angles. We conclude that digital visible-light
cameras could provide inexpensive, spatially representative and objective information
with the required temporal resolution for phenological studies.

Citation: Ahrends, H. E., R. Brügger, R. Stöckli, J. Schenk, P. Michna, F. Jeanneret, H. Wanner, and W. Eugster (2008), Quantitative

phenological observations of a mixed beech forest in northern Switzerland with digital photography, J. Geophys. Res., 113, G04004,

doi:10.1029/2007JG000650.

1. Introduction

[2] Phenology is the study of recurring biological events
in the biosphere and the causes of their timing [Lieth, 1976].
Historically, phenological studies have been performed in
agriculture to document events such as plant emergence,
fruiting and harvest. In recent decades phenology has
become recognized as an important integrative method for
assessing the impact of climate variability and climate
change on ecosystems [Menzel, 2002; Sparks and Menzel,
2002]. Recent global warming has had significant effects on
the seasonality of ecosystems [Badeck et al., 2004; Chuine
et al., 2004; Peñuelas and Filella, 2001; Zhang et al.,
2007]. Time series analyses of selected variables such as
green-up, maturity, senescence and dormancy, yield valu-
able information about ecosystem responses to climate and
are widely used in climatological and ecological models
[Cleland et al., 2007; Reed et al., 1994; Schwartz, 1994].
Plant phenology is strongly connected to the gas and water
exchange of ecosystems [Davis et al., 2003; Knohl et al.,

2003; Moore et al., 1996]. Shifts in phenology can therefore
significantly affect the global carbon and water cycle
[Baldocchi et al., 2005; Churkina et al., 2005; Piao et al.,
2007]. Consequently, a knowledge and understanding of
these phenological processes is needed for the parameteri-
zation of models used in climate predictions [Arora and
Boer, 2005; Lawrence and Slingo, 2004a, 2004b; Lu et al.,
2001].
[3] Phenological ground observations span several deca-

des, sometimes up to centuries [Rutishauser et al., 2007],
but they are often observer-biased [Kharin, 1976; Menzel,
2002]. Additionally, there is a significant decline in long-
term observation sites due to a lack of volunteers for
phenological field work. For two decades satellite remote
sensing has been providing a globally integrated view of
vegetation phenological states. However, this method still
heavily depends on ground-based measurements for valida-
tion. Moreover, satellite images often have limited temporal
and spatial coverage due to clouds, aerosols and other
atmospheric- or sensor-related characteristics [e.g., Ahl et
al., 2006; Fisher et al., 2006; Studer et al., 2007; Zhang et
al., 2004, 2006]. Within the framework of the COST Action
725 (‘‘Establishing a European Phenological Data Platform
for Climatological Applications’’), our project investigates
the application of ground-based, commercially available
digital cameras in observational procedures and quality
assurance of phenological monitoring.
[4] Overall, the adoption of standard digital visible-light

cameras in ecological research has been slow but recently

JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 113, G04004, doi:10.1029/2007JG000650, 2008

1
Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

2
Climate Analysis, Climate Services, Federal Office of Meteorology

and Climatology MeteoSwiss, Zurich, Switzerland.
3
Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort

Collins, Colorado, USA.
4
Institute of Plant Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.
0148-0227/08/2007JG000650

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an increasing number of studies have used digital images
from standard ground-based RGB (red, green and blue)
cameras for vegetation studies. In an early approach
Brandhorst and Pinkhof [1935] compared flowering and
leaf development of common park trees with dated analog
photography, and emphasized the use of photography for
objective phenological monitoring. Vertical sky-ward wide-
angle photography has been successfully used for monitor-
ing changing light conditions in forests, Leaf Area Index
(LAI) and canopy-closure-estimation [Rich, 1988, 1990;
Rich et al., 1993]. This technique was first used for forests
by Evans and Coombe [1959] and is currently widely
applied [Jonckheere et al., 2004; Nobis and Hunziker,
2005; Pellika, 2001]. Vertical downward photography for
the quantification of parameters such as vegetation fraction,
LAI and biomass was performed by Vanamburg et al.
[2006], Zhou et al. [1998], Zhou and Robson [2001], and
Behrens and Diepenbrock [2006]. Other approaches ana-
lyzed vertical vegetation structures [Zehm et al., 2003] and
directional reflectance distributions of vegetation targets
[Dymond and Trotter, 1997] with multiple digital images.
The link between leaf pigmentation and digital images was
found by Kawashima and Nakatani [1998] who estimated
the chlorophyll content in leaves using a video camera. Net
CO2 uptake of moss was analyzed by Graham et al. [2006]
with a RGB camera based upon the changes in reflected
visible light (VIS) during moss drying and hydrating. The
observation of phenological phases was first tested by
Adamsen et al. [1999], who analyzed wheat senescence
with a digital camera. Sparks et al. [2006] used monthly
fixed-date, fixed-subject photographs to examine the corre-
lation between plant phenology and mean monthly meteo-
rological data. Digital camera images, phenology and
satellite-based data were jointly analyzed by Fisher et al.
[2006], who used multiple photographs, visually classified
by independent observers, as validation data for satellite
model estimates of phenological development. The latest
research in webcam-based phenological monitoring was
published by Richardson et al. [2007]. Digital webcam-
images were successfully used for spring green-up tracking
of a forest and jointly analyzed with FAPAR (fraction of
incident photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by the
canopy), broadband Normalized Difference Vegetation In-
dex (NDVI) and the light-saturated rate of canopy photo-
synthesis, inferred from eddy covariance measurements at a
flux tower site.
[5] Despite this pioneering work, the application of

digital image analysis in vegetation phenology is still a
young field. Previous studies mainly documented the con-
ceptual use of area-integrated digital camera images in
vegetation monitoring. Spatial and temporal uncertainty of
digital images for continuous objective monitoring of phe-
nological processes is still largely unknown. Species-specific
image analysis, comparable with traditional phenological
observations in a mixed forest canopy, has not yet been
conducted. In this study we conducted species-specific
phenological observation using digital photography, incor-
porating an uncertainty analysis, for a managed mixed forest
in northern Switzerland. We focused on the forest spring
phenology in 2005 and 2006, and aimed to identify leaf
unfolding dates of the two dominant tree species, beech
(Fagus sylvatica L.) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.). The

automated observation of different species presented in our
study here adds a further level of complexity and requires the
separation of the phenological signal of single species from
that of their surroundings. Given that within a mixed canopy
the phenology of individual trees is locally adapted to
environmental conditions such as light or tree age [e.g.,
Kikuzawa, 2003] we observed three ash and two beech trees
using the camera. Additionally, we observed spring green-up
of a mixed forested region located a few kilometers from the
camera. Extending the work of previous studies, we con-
ducted an uncertainty analysis, a species-dependant pheno-
logical observation including a year-to-year comparison, and
interpreted the camera signal in detail. We were therefore able
to examine both the potential and the limitations of this novel
observation method.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Site Description

[6] The Lägeren research site is located at 47�2804900N
and 8�2100500E at 682 m a.s.l. on the south slope of the
Lägeren mountain, approximately 15 km northwest of
Zürich, Switzerland. The south slope of the Lägeren moun-
tain marks the boundary of the Swiss Plateau, which is
bordered by the Jura and the Alps. Since 1986 the Lägeren
site has been a permanent station of the Swiss air quality
monitoring network (NABEL) [Burkard et al., 2003]. A
45 m tall flux tower provides micrometeorological data at a
high temporal resolution. Routine CO2 and H2O flux
measurements as a contribution to the FLUXNET/Car-
boEuropeIP network started in April 2004 [Eugster et al.,
2007]. The mean annual temperature is 8�C. The mean
annual precipitation is 1200 mm and the vegetation period
is 170–190 days. The natural vegetation cover around the
tower is a mixed beech forest. The western part is domi-
nated by broad-leaved trees, mainly beech (Fagus sylvatica
L.) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.). In the eastern part beech
and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) are dominant.
The forest stand has a relatively high diversity of species,
ages, and diameters [Eugster et al., 2007].
[7] The vegetation cover within the camera’s field of

view predominantly consisted of beech, ash and silver fir
(Abies alba Mill.). Understory vegetation varies, but during
the study period it was dominated by bear garlic (Allium
ursinum L.) and beech saplings.

2.2. Technical Setup

[8] On the uppermost platform of the Lägeren flux tower
a standard digital 5-megapixel camera (NIKON Coolpix
5400, CCD sensor) was connected to a Linux-based com-
puter and mounted in a weatherproof enclosure. The camera
provides hourly digital raw images (2592 � 1944 pixels,
12 bit color resolution) of the Lägeren forest since autumn
2004. This camera was chosen because of its high sensor
resolution, good quality optics and its ability to store images
in uncompressed raw format. Quantitative image analysis
requires the original and complete image information.
Spatial or color compression (e.g., JPEG) by the camera’s
complex and proprietary image processing algorithms can
potentially lead to information loss and nonlinearities
[Stevens et al., 2007]. Raw files contain the actual pixel
data captured by the camera sensor, before it has undergone

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any processing method. Furthermore, in the raw format,
information such as white balance, saturation, color space or
tonality are included as metadata and can be adjusted
manually by the user following image capture. The field
of view of the camera is approximately 60� wide and the
view angle is tilted 25� below the horizon. A sample image
is presented in Figure 1.
[9] Image capture was controlled by custom Perl (Prac-

tical Extraction and Report Language) scripts and the open-
Source software gphoto2 (http://gphoto.org). To cope with
diurnally and seasonally changing illumination conditions
the camera was operated in the automatic exposure and
aperture mode. The camera was pointed toward the west,
looking at the southern slope of the Lägeren mountain. The
sun therefore moved from behind to in front of the camera
over the course of a day. As shown in Figure 1 a color
calibration panel was included in the camera’s field of view,
but was not in the image analysis since reflection values
were saturated on sunny days.

2.3. Image Analysis

[10] The NIKON raw image format (NEF) was processed
into standard TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) without
performing white balance, changes in color space, and
without applying any automatic correction methods or
filters, maintaining the original image information. The
TIFF images (linearly scaled to 48 bit color resolution)
provided a time series of digital data in the visible part of
the electromagnetic spectrum (located approximately be-
tween 400 – 700 nm), at an hourly temporal resolution
(excluding the dark hours). This scheduling was chosen so
as to provide an adequate temporal resolution under limited
data storage capacity.
[11] Data analysis was based on 64 midday images for

2005 and 67 images for 2006 between Day of Year (DOY)
101 (11 April) and 170 (19 June). Only the images taken
near local noon time were used in order to minimize angular
effects of the forest canopy’s hemispherical directional
reflectance function (HDRF) [Chen et al., 2000]. This

selection was supported by an uncertainty analysis exam-
ining the influence of diurnal illumination changes on
camera-based phenology. Images with raindrops on the
camera lens, images of very foggy days or days with snow
cover were excluded from the time series analysis. Image
analysis was conducted separately on each region in a set of
regions of interest (ROIs) representing single tree species
(Figure 1). Each ROI covered a specific set of species, and
within each of these there was variation in vegetation during
spring due to changing leaf coverage: closer trees masked
those further away during green-up. As an extension to
previous studies our analysis here explores the effects of
these overlaying signals. Table 1 shows the different species
included within the different ROIs. Regions of interest were
named after the dominant tree species. We observed the
phenology of three ash and two beech trees. The Beech 2
ROI and the Beech 3 ROI were mainly covered by the same
tree, Beech 2 representing its upper crown and Beech 3
representing the lower crown and part of the understory
vegetation. Beech trees generally show successive leafing,
starting at the lower parts of the crown and moving up to the
top of the crown [e.g., Kikuzawa, 1983; Kikuzawa, 1989;
Kikuzawa, 2003]. Therefore we compared leafing dates of
the Beech 2 ROI with those from the Beech 3 ROI. The
Background Forest ROI was chosen in order to measure
spatially integrated phenology characteristics of a heteroge-
neous area and to study the atmospheric disturbance effects
at a larger distance from the camera.
[12] The image’s color values (red, green and blue) were

extracted and averaged across each ROI at daily intervals.
Several vegetation indices have been developed to describe
biomass amount and vegetation status. Since the camera’s
spectral sensitivity is limited to the visible part of the
spectrum, we used the relative brightness of the green
channel (GF: the ratio of the mean raw green value to the
sum of the mean raw red, green and blue values):

GF ¼ G= G þ R þ Bð Þð Þ

[13] The exact spectral sensitivity of the NIKON Coolpix
5400 was not revealed by the manufacturer. The GF was
computed from unsmoothed and noninterpolated mean
color values for each ROI and was a suitable index for
recording changes in vegetation state during spring. GF
values were then plotted over time to describe changing
phenology in the observed ROIs (Figure 2). Leaf emergence
dates were (a) automatically determined using first and
second derivatives (DGF/Dt and D2GF/Dt2) describing
curvature changes (data not shown) and (b) by visual
curvature shape interpretation. Generally leaf emergence is
represented by the maximum value of the second derivative,
that is, by the starting date of a significant GF increase
(inflection point). The derivative methodology is very
responsive to noise in the unsmoothed GF time series. It
was successfully applied to Beech 1, 2 and 3, Background
and Ash 3 ROIs. For the Ash 1 and 2 ROIs, leaf emergence
dates were derived visually from the GF curvature shape as
there was interference in the data from the earlier greening
of background vegetation and understory (see in the fol-
lowing section).

Figure 1. Sample camera image (24 May 2005) and regions
of interests (ROIs) for image analysis. A color calibration
panel facing south (right) is included in all images. ROIs are
named after the dominant tree species.

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[14] Validation data were obtained from daily visual
image interpretation combined with direct phenological
observations of sample trees performed by the Forestry
Office Wettingen. In 2006 the percentage of foliation in
the upper, middle and lower part of Ash 3 and Beeches 1, 2
and 3 was documented between DOY 115 (25 April 2006)
and 124 (4 May 2006) (data not shown). Leaf unfolding
dates for the Ash 1 and 2 ROIs were visually estimated from
imagery (Table 2). In 2005 validation data for all ROIs was
visually estimated. Comparisons of field observations from
2006 with 2006 imagery served as reference. The human
eye is readily able to differentiate between different stages
of leaf emergence justifying visual image interpretation
(‘‘visual leaf unfolding’’ in Table 2). Visual interpretation

of Background forest phenology further resulted in a higher
uncertainty.

2.4. Uncertainty Analysis

[15] Pixel values and therefore GF values and leaf emer-
gence dates are influenced by different biotic and abiotic
factors. Uncertainties and variations on daily and hourly
time-scales are thought to be mainly a result of abiotic
factors such as changing ambient illumination conditions
and wind influences.
[16] It can be assumed that the tree positions in the

images changed due to tower and tree movements on windy
days. Wind influences and natural leaf development led to
different leaf inclination angles which may have influenced
the levels of the extracted color values. We did not consider
these influences within this study. To quantify uncertainties
we focused on ambient illumination conditions. They affect
results because of (a) changing radiation due to clouds and
humidity, (b) diurnally and seasonally changing illumina-
tion angle, and (c) the limited dynamic range of the camera.
Due to clouds and other atmospheric influences, such as
water vapor content, the fraction of direct radiation changes
over time. Its impact on photosynthetic activity and surface
albedo was described e.g., by Wang et al. [2002], Rocha et
al. [2004] and Gamon et al. [2006]. Also, dependencies of
vegetation index values on illumination angles are well
known [Holben, 1986]. Among others, Holben and Kimes
[1986], Jackson et al. [1990] and Schaaf and Strahler
[1994] have shown that surface anisotropic properties have
a significant influence on surface reflectance measurements.

Table 1. Regions of Interest Chosen for Image Analysis and the

Main Vegetation Types Covered by the ROI
a

Region of Interest
Number
of Pixels Main Vegetation Cover

Ash 1 58696 ash, mixed background vegetation
of the lower forest

Ash 2 73924 ash, beech
Ash 3 50530 ash, silver fir
Beech 1 87048 beech, ash
Beech 2 137960 beech, silver fir, understory
Beech 3 21021 beech, understory
Background Forest 61313 beech, ash, maple

a
ROI, regions of interest.

Figure 2. Green fraction (G/(G + R + B)) development during spring (DOY 100–170) for (a) beech-
dominated ROIs in 2005 and (d) 2006, (b) ash-dominated ROIs in 2005 and (e) 2006 and (c) the
Background Forest ROI in 2005 and (f) 2006. Solid vertical lines show mean GF-based leaf unfolding
dates of the dominant tree species and dotted lines show mean unfolding dates provided by the validation
data.

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The effect of the illumination angle is dependent on
vegetation type, varies with spectral wavelength and is
difficult to quantify [Qi et al., 1995]. Using sample images
we analyzed the variance due to both cloud conditions and
to changing illumination angles, and quantified the impacts
on the GF.
[17] We attempted to quantify the impact of changing

fractions of diffuse radiation on the GF by comparing
vegetation indices of (visually classified) ‘‘cloudy’’ and
‘‘sunny’’ images. We compared eight pairs of sunny and
cloudy images from successive days taken at midday in the
middle and at the end of the growing season. Except for the
radiation, stable environmental conditions were assumed for
the picture pairs. GF values of the images with higher
diffuse radiation fractions (‘‘cloudy’’ days: DOY 144,
155, 163, 168, 209, 229, 234 in 2005) were subtracted
from those with high direct radiation fraction (‘‘sunny’’
days: DOY 145, 154, 162, 167, 169, 208, 228, 235 in
2005). For each ROI and each pair of images the relative
change of the GF was calculated (values normalized with
the GF of the ‘‘sunny’’ images):

DGF %½ � ¼ 1 	 GFcloudy=GFsunny
� �

*100 %½ �

[18] Moreover, we hypothesized that changing diurnal
illumination angles could have a significant impact on
image pixel values and thus also on the GF. To test this
assumption we calculated GF variation over five sunny days
in the middle and at the end of the growing season of 2006
(DOY 163, 175, 181, 198 and 211). Mean RGB values were
extracted from hourly digital images between 7:30 and
15:30 h.

3. Results

3.1. Temporal Spectral Response of the GF

[19] Figure 2 shows the GF curves and GF-derived leaf
emergence dates for 2005 and 2006. The GF showed a
characteristic curve shape, similar to spring leaf emergence
phenology, and could therefore be used as a surrogate index
for phenological phases. Generally the values showed
species-specific seasonality. Short-term variations (noise
component) were similar for each ROI.
[20] The Ash 1 ROI and the Ash 2 ROI displayed two

consecutive pronounced rises in spring. The first rise was

due to the leaf emergence of trees or understory vegetation
in the background with earlier green-up dates, whereas the
second increase was caused by the leaf flush of the ash.
Figure 4 shows enlarged image data as an example of the
Ash 2 ROI in spring 2006. This ROI was strongly influ-
enced by a beech growing behind the ash, having an earlier
leaf emergence which was partially visible in the space
between the stem and bare branches of the ash tree in the
foreground.
[21] Figure 3 shows the red and blue color values

normalized to the overall brightness (red and blue fraction)
for the ROIs Beech 1 and Ash 1 in 2005. The values were
similar in 2006 (data not shown). For both species, the blue
fraction (BF) decreased simultaneously with the increase of
the GF during green-up while the red fraction (RF)
remained approximately constant.
[22] After complete leaf expansion, when leaves were

getting thicker, drier and darker and reached their delayed
full photosynthetic activity [e.g., Morecroft et al., 2003;
Schulze, 1970], GF decreased in all ROIs, particularly in
2006. BF slightly increases and the RF decreases at that
time.
[23] In 2006 the GF was generally lower than it had been

in 2005. RF and BF values of the Background Forest ROI
were highly scattered but curve characteristics were similar
to the beech dominated ROIs (data not shown). Moreover,
the Background Forest reflection values were higher than
those of the regions next to the tower (data not shown).
Since the camera adjusted exposure and aperture automat-
ically, the background generally appeared brighter than the
foreground, especially with high diffuse radiation fractions.
At increasing distances from the camera higher atmospheric
absorption and scattering of light occurs [Janeiro et al.,
2006]. Therefore the GF of the Background Forest ROI
showed a less consistent curve compared to the other ROIs.

3.2. Validation of the GF

[24] Dates for the leaf emergence of the dominant tree
species generally agreed well with validation data (Table 2).
ROIs with similar dominant tree species showed similar GF
curve shapes. GF curves in 2005 were more consistent than
in 2006 (Figure 2). The estimation of transition dates in
2006 was more difficult due to irregularities in the GF
curve. The mean error of observed onset compared with the
validation data was 3 days in 2005 and 3.6 days in 2006.
The maximum disagreement between validation and GF-

Table 2. Dates for Leaf Unfolding in 2005 and 2006 at the Lägeren Research Site
a

ROI

2005 2006

Visual Leaf
Unfolding (DOY)

GF-Based Leaf
Unfolding (DOY)

Absolute Difference
(days)

Visual Leaf
Unfolding (DOY)

GF-Based Leaf
Unfolding (DOY)

Absolute
Difference (days)

Ash 1 138 (V) 140 2 128 (V) 131 3
Ash 2 131 (V) 139 8 124 (G) 131 7
Ash 3 129 (V) 133 4 124 (V) 131 7
Beech 1 121 (V) 119 	2 115 (G) 114 	1
Beech 2 120 (V) 119 	1 116 (G) 114 	2
Beech 3 119 (V) 119 0 115 (G) 113 	2
Background Forest 112 (V) 116 4 111 (V) 114 3
Mean error (days) 3 3.6

a
Signals derived from digital imagery (GF-based leaf unfolding) and validation data (visual leaf unfolding) for the dominant vegetation type in each ROI

are shown. Validation data are based on visual image interpretation (V) or based on ground observations (G).

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based estimates was eight days in 2005 and seven days in
2006 for the Ash 2 ROI (Figure 4). GF-based dates for leaf
unfolding for the beech-dominated ROIs showed better
agreement with validation data than the ash-dominated
ROIs. Because of missing images between DOY 116 and
119 in 2005 caused by a technical system failure, the
derivation of the exact date for beech leaf unfolding was
not possible. This does not affect the general finding that in
both years the GF values in beech-dominated ROIs in-
creased slightly earlier than indicated by the validation data.
Possibly, this demonstrates the high objectivity and accuracy
of the imagery for the observation of the budbreak. In field
studies it was difficult to observe the exact date for first leaf
appearance. However, the GF values may additionally be
influenced by early leaf unfolding of beech saplings in the
understory vegetation. In contrast, GF values for ash-
dominated ROIs increased after leaf unfolding was observed
in the field. As noted above, GF already increased for the
ash-dominated ROIs when other vegetation components
such as the understory or beech trees were greening up.
Therefore, after leaf emergence of the ash tree, the GF
values only increased when ash leaves started covering
branches, stem and other previously nongreen parts in the
ROI. This is also the most likely cause for the greater
disagreement between the ash-dominated regions with the
validation data.
[25] The mean date of leaf unfolding was five days earlier

in 2006 than in 2005 for beech-dominated ROIs and six
days earlier for ash-dominated ROIs. For the Background
Forest ROI leaf emergence started two days earlier in 2006.
Maximum GF values of the observed ROIs were reached
between the middle and the end of May in both years.
Within species, the GF-based dates for the start of the
growing season dates were very similar. The delayed
green-up of the Ash 1 ROI and the earlier green-up of the
Ash 3 ROI in 2005 agreed well with validation data. In
2006 leaf emergence in the lower crown layers, represented
by the Beech 2 ROI, happened earlier than in the upper
crown layers, represented by the Beech 3 ROI. In 2005 this
difference between the Beech 2 and the Beech 3 ROIs did
not show up in the GF values, probably because of the
missing images between DOY 116 and 119.

Figure 3. Red and blue color fractions exemplarily for (a) the Beech 1 ROI, (b) the Ash 1 ROI, and
(c) the Background Forest ROI plotted over time (day of year) for 2005. Solid vertical line shows start of
growing season date estimated from GF values.

Figure 4. Enlarged images of the Ash 2 ROI. Successive
masking of the beech growing behind the ash: (a) no leaves
(14 April 2006), (b) beech leaves unfolded (4 May 2006),
and (c) ash masks beech (8 June 2006).

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3.3. Uncertainty Analysis

[26] To quantify the impact of the diffuse radiation fraction
on the GF values we compared eight pairs of sunny and
cloudy images. Resulting mean and maximum estimated GF
changes for each ROI are given in Table 3. As the chosen
images do not represent extremely contrasting sky condi-
tions, the values represent average uncertainty rather than
maximum uncertainty. The impact was highest for the
furthest ROIs, such as the Background Forest and Ash 1.
Their greater distances from the camera made these parts of
the images more susceptible to the effects of water vapor
absorption and scattering processes (particularly on cloudy

days with higher air humidity). Therefore, these parts gener-
ally appeared brighter, resulting in a higher impact on the GF.
Also, the spatial variability caused by stronger contrasts
between shadowed and sunny areas seemed to be compen-
sated by the averaging of color values over the observed
ROIs.
[27] To test the impact of changing illumination angles we

calculated the diurnal course of GF values over five sunny
days of 2006 between 7:30 and 15:30 h (Figure 5). Generally,
GF values first increased and then decreased again. Maxi-
mum GF values were reached before midday, except for the
Beech 3 ROI (Figure 5b). To quantify the impact the
coefficient of variation (in percent) was calculated for each
ROI. Largest variations were found in the Beech 3 ROI
(Table 4). This ROI was significantly affected by shadow
effects. All ROIs showed significant dependencies on the
illumination angle. This supports our choice of using only
noontime images. The computed values displayed, not only
effects of daily changes in illumination angles, but also
revealed an effect of the seasonal shift in the sun’s position.
For ash-dominated ROIs and the Background Forest ROI
GF values generally decreased from June to July. Beech-
dominated ROIs showed first a decrease between DOY
163 and 175, and afterwards remained constant. Further-
more, varying radiation values, leaf inclination angles and
environmental conditions were influencing the result. GF

Table 3. Mean and Maximum Relative Change of the Green

Fraction Due to Clouds in 2005
a

ROI Mean DGF (%) Maximum DGF (%)

Ash 1 1.2 2.7
Ash 2 0.5 1.3
Ash 3 0.6 1.8
Beech 1 0.6 1.1
Beech 2 0.5 1.2
Beech 3 0.8 1.8
Background Forest 1.5 3.7

a
Results for each ROI (region of interest) are obtained by pairwise

comparison of 16 images with different illumination conditions. GF, green
fraction.

Figure 5. Variation of the green fraction (G/(G + R + B)) during DOY 163 (12 June), 175 (24 June),
181 (30 June), 198 (17 July) and 211 (30 July) for each ROI.

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values were generally more sensitive to illumination angles
than to variations in the diffuse radiation fraction.

4. Discussion

[28] The image-based estimates of leaf emergence dates
suggest that camera-based observation of a forest-canopy
provides temporally accurate and objective phenological
information at the species level. In this study, we focused
on the estimation of the leaf flushing date of two deciduous
tree species. Image data provides a variety of information
about vegetation development. However, without knowing
the spectral sensitivity of the camera’s sensor, image color
values do not allow us to draw firm conclusions with
respect to biogeochemical processes such as photosynthetic
efficiency [Kira and Kumura, 1985]. Nevertheless, the GF
was found to be a reliable measure for the timing of
biophysical processes such as leaf emergence and expansion
in spring. Maximum GF values represent vegetation cover
fraction and maximum canopy closure within the ROI.
Therefore the GF allows, within a specific uncertainty due
to mixed species, objective statements about phenology and
leaf emergence rates. These estimates can be compared with
data obtained by ground-based field studies. Moreover the
GF describes optical leaf color such as leaf darkening due to
chlorophyll accumulation [e.g., Bray and Sanger, 1961;
Bray et al., 1966] and changes in the leaf surface due to
maturity and aging processes [e.g., Ito et al., 2006]. How-
ever, the decrease in the GF after complete leaf expansion
which was observable in all ROIs may have been addition-
ally influenced by seasonal changes of midday sun angles as
described in our uncertainty analysis.
[29] Owing to the mixed background signal from the

variety of species, GF values did not provide a method
for estimating the leaf area index [Chen and Black, 1992]
for the ROIs. We found a generally lower green fraction in
2006. Field studies showed that 2006 was a mast year for
the beech and possibly the ash. Fruiting beech trees gener-
ally have more transparent crowns because a proportion of
the buds have developed into flowers and the leaf size is
reduced [Innes, 1994]. This could be a possible explanation
for the lower GF levels in these ROIs. However, observed
similarity of short-term GF variations demonstrate the larger
influence of environmental conditions, e.g., illumination
conditions. Therefore, it is also reasonable that the lower
GF values were caused by abiotic factors.
[30] Not only species-specific but also individual leaf

unfolding dates could be observed. Individual trees experi-

ence different green-up dates due to genetic differences and
based on their position within the forest canopy. The GF-
based leaf unfolding date was up to one week later for the
Ash 1 ROI in 2005 compared to the other ash-dominated
ROIs. This ROI was mainly covered by a relatively free-
standing ash tree compared with the other ash trees within
the camera’s field of view. Although the delayed leaf
unfolding could not be shown with GF values for 2006,
the observation is consistent with the validation data. Our
results agree with studies from Brügger et al. [2003] about
the phenological variability within one species due to the
genetic differences and the different social positions of the
individual trees. Successive leafing processes moving from
lower to upper parts of the foliage could be observed for
beeches during field work but only showed up in the image
data for 2006. The mean error for the estimation of the leaf
unfolding dates was larger than the variation in the leaf
unfolding dates for the different parts of the crown.
[31] Our study also found less consistent GF curves for

the Background Forest ROI located a few kilometers from
the camera compared to the other ROIs which were next to
the tower. The higher noise component of the GF for this
ROI made an automated detection of phenological transition
dates much more difficult. However, since the Background
Forest ROI covers a set of different tree species, GF values
probably represent the maximum time span of leaf devel-
opment for the sampled trees.
[32] The GF is strongly influenced by the different

species included within the ROIs. Therefore the installation
of phenological cameras should be performed cautiously
with respect to the different species included in the cameras
field of view. An observation with camera images of the
understory green-up provides useful additional information.
For instance, since the phenological studies with satellite
images based on the NDVI [e.g., Tucker, 1979] are strongly
influenced by the earlier green-up of understory and sap-
lings, analyses of the image’s color values can be used for
objective satellite data validation. However, comparisons
with satellite data should be performed with respect to the
timing of phenological processes rather than as a quantita-
tive comparison. For a realistic validation and for the
comparison of imagery from different cameras the spectral
calibration of the camera model under use would be
required [Stevens et al., 2007].
[33] In recent years eddy covariance measurements have

been performed worldwide at flux tower sites for calculating
local and regional carbon dioxide and water balances. In
this context, shifts in phenology could significantly affect
annual carbon uptake and water cycling [i.e., Baldocchi et
al., 2005; Churkina et al., 2005; Gu et al., 2003; Keeling et
al., 1996; Morecroft et al., 2003; Niemand et al., 2005; Piao
et al., 2007; White et al., 1999]. Therefore Baldocchi et al.
[2005] suggested installing video cameras at flux tower sites
for continuous monitoring of the canopy state. Since pho-
tographic cameras have a much better image resolution and
quality than video cameras, our study suggests that still
digital cameras may be better suited for this purpose.
However, since measurements of the net ecosystem carbon
dioxide exchange are strongly related to leaf gas exchange
and therefore to photosynthetic activity and biomass, com-
parisons with GF values from standard digital images
should also be based on the timing of phenological phases

Table 4. GF Coefficient of Variation in 2006 Due to Changing

Illumination Angle Over the Day
a

Region
of Interest

DOY
163

DOY
175

DOY
181

DOY
198

DOY
211

Ash 1 1.9 1.4 1.1 1.2 1.2
Ash 2 2.0 1.5 1.2 0.4 1.1
Ash 3 2.0 1.5 1.2 0.9 0.9
Beech 1 1.7 1.4 1.0 0.6 0.9
Beech 2 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.1 1.1
Beech 3 2.8 2.5 3.0 2.0 1.8
Background Forest 2.0 1.8 1.4 0.8 1.0

a
GF variation was calculated over 5 sunny days in the middle and at the

end of the growing season.

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rather than on quantitative data. We believe that the instal-
lation of digital cameras can be used to bridge the gap
between CO2 flux measurements at ecosystem scale and
satellite-based vegetation monitoring at a regional scale.
Continuous time series of digital images of the forest
canopy could complement terrestrial monitoring of gas
and water exchanges at forest sites.
[34] We found a considerable sensitivity of the GF to

illumination conditions, mainly to changing sun angles. The
interpretation of the result of the uncertainty analysis is
difficult due to complex canopy structures [Leuchner et al.,
2007] and the different geometric positions of the trees
relative to the sun and the camera within the canopy at
midday. Further research with respect to the quantification
of these influences is needed. Changing fractions of differ-
ent tree species over time also have to be considered.
Illumination conditions need to be quantified as a base for
comparisons. Visual estimates of tree phenology for ground
truthing may be hampered by the same light and visibility
problems as digital camera image analysis. Weather con-
ditions are rarely uniform and especially fog, sun angle and
general brightness have a significant influence on the color
sensitivity of the human eye. Considering all these aspects
together, it becomes clear that, despite there is moderate
uncertainty in the GF values, GF curves can be used for
detection of leaf emergence dates which are typically
accurate to within a few days from the validation data.

5. Conclusions

[35] We found that the use of consumer-grade digital
cameras offers the possibility of monitoring phenology with
high temporal and spatial accuracy with respect to the
phenological state of leaf emergence of individual decidu-
ous trees. Our study clearly showed that changing illumi-
nation conditions introduce a moderate uncertainty in
phenological estimates. By choosing pictures taken at a
particular hour every day to monitor vegetation develop-
ment, this uncertainty can be minimized. Furthermore our
results suggest that species-dependant phenological obser-
vations in mixed forests are successful if overlaying signals
of the different species covered by a specific analyzed ROI
are detected and separated. The camera should be mounted
within an appropriate distance from the observed canopy to
minimize scattering of the color values which aggravates
automated detection of phenological transition dates.
[36] Based on this case study for a European mixed forest

we anticipate that a network of digital cameras could
provide inexpensive, spatially representative and objective
information with the required temporal resolution for phe-
nological applications at species-level and process-based
ecosystem research. In future studies the application of
digital camera images at sites with different dominant
vegetation types such as grassland sites or in agriculture
should be analyzed. From a technical viewpoint, noise
removal, algorithm development (e.g., by optimized filter-
ing methods) to automate the detection of phenological
phases, and the standardization of these algorithms for
public use, should receive special attention. Since these
aspects are related to data processing and not to data
acquisition, we are convinced that phenological monitoring

with digital cameras is a suitable method to be used in a
network of automated phenological observation sites.

[37] Acknowledgments. This project is funded by the Federal De-
partment of Home Affairs FDAA: State Secreteriat for Education and
Research SER, SBF CO5.0032. We are grateful to the National Center of
Competence in Research on Climate (NCCR Climate) for supporting this
project. This publication was supported by the Foundation Marchese
Francesco Medici del Vascello. We acknowledge Paul Messerli for publi-
cation sponsorship. We are grateful to Philipp Vock (Forestry Office,
Wettingen) for field work and validation data.

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H. E. Ahrends, R. Brügger, F. Jeanneret, P. Michna, J. Schenk, and

H. Wanner, Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12,
CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. (ahrends@giub.unibe.ch)
W. Eugster, Institute of Plant Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 2,

CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
R. Stöckli, Climate Analysis, Climate Services, Federal Office of

Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss, Krähbühlstrasse 58, CH-8044
Zürich, Switzerland.

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