Linking Phenocam Derived Phenology With Satellite and Field Observations in the Evergreen Forest

Bud phenology is a crucial indicator of climate change. Therefore, it’s important to understand the relationship between canopy greenness and phenological shifts at higher temporal and spatial resolutions. In this study, we used PhenoCam based near-surface remote sensing for studying the phenological events of black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P] species in Quebec, Canada. We compared the spring and autumnal bud phenology from the time-series indices with satellite and field observations. The results indicated that the mean difference between GCC-derived dates and field observations was 13.9 days for Start of Season (SOS) and 11.1 days for End of Season (EOS). Satellite derived EVI provided more accurate estimates of bud burst and bud set timings compared to NDVI. Overall, our research expanded the ability to process PhenoCam derived timeseries indices and to establish their relationship with Satellite and field observations.