scholarly journals Estimation of Evapotranspiration in Sparse Vegetation Areas by Applying an Optimized Two-Source Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1344
Author(s):  
Changlong Li ◽  
Zengyuan Li ◽  
Zhihai Gao ◽  
Bin Sun

Evapotranspiration (ET) is an important part of the water, carbon, and energy cycles in ecosystems, especially in the drylands. However, due to the particularity of sparse vegetation, the estimation accuracy of ET has been relatively low in the drylands. Therefore, based on the dry climate and sparse vegetation distribution characteristics of the drylands, this study optimized the core algorithms (canopy boundary resistance, aerodynamic resistance, and sparse vegetation coverage) and explored an ET estimation method in the Shuttleworth–Wallace two-layer model (SW model). Then, the Beijing–Tianjin sandstorm source region (BTSSR) was used as the study area to evaluate the applicability of the improved model in the drylands. Results show that: (1) The R2 value of the improved model results was increased by 1.4 and the RMSE was reduced by 1.9 mm, especially in extreme value regions of ET (maximum or minimum). (2) Regardless of the spatial distribution and seasonal changes of the ET (63–790 mm), the improved ET estimation model could accurately capture the differences. Furtherly, the different vegetation regions could stand for the different climate regions to a certain extent. The accuracy of the optimized model was higher in the semi-arid region (R2 = 0.92 and 0.93), while the improved model had the best improvement effect in the arid region, with R2 increasing by 0.12. (3) Precipitation was the decisive factor affecting vegetation transpiration and ET, with R2 value for both exceeding 0.9. The effect of vegetation coverage (VC) was less. This method is expected to provide a more accurate and adaptable model for the estimation of ET in the drylands.

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Y. Zhang ◽  
B. P. Wang ◽  
Y. Fang ◽  
Z. X. Song

The existing sparse imaging observation error estimation methods are to usually estimate the error of each observation position by substituting the error parameters into the iterative reconstruction process, which has a huge calculation cost. In this paper, by analysing the relationship between imaging results of single-observation sampling data and error parameters, a SAR observation error estimation method based on maximum relative projection matching is proposed. First, the method estimates the precise position parameters of the reference position by the sparse reconstruction method of joint error parameters. Second, a relative error estimation model is constructed based on the maximum correlation of base-space projection. Finally, the accurate error parameters are estimated by the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno method. Simulation and measured data of microwave anechoic chambers show that, compared to the existing methods, the proposed method has higher estimation accuracy, lower noise sensitivity, and higher computational efficiency.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dewei Li ◽  
Yonghao Yin ◽  
Hong He

Train dwell time estimation is a critical issue in both scheduling and rescheduling phases. In a previous paper, the authors proposed a novel dwell time estimation model at short stops which did not require the passenger data. This model shows promising results when applied to Dutch railway stations. This paper focuses on testing and improving the generality of the model by two steps: first, the model is tested by applying more independent datasets from another city and comparing the estimation accuracy with the previous Dutch case; second, the model’s generality is tested by a theoretical approach through the analysis of individual model parameters, variables, model scenarios, and model structure as well as work conditions. The validation results during peak hours show that the MAPE of the model is 11.4%, which is slightly better than the results for the Dutch railway stations. A more generalized predictor called “dwell time at the associated station” is used to replace the square root term in the original model. The improved model can estimate train dwell time in all the investigated stations during both peak and off-peak periods. We conclude that the proposed train dwell time estimation model is generic in the given condition.


Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 3810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasutaka Umayahara ◽  
Zu Soh ◽  
Kiyokazu Sekikawa ◽  
Toshihiro Kawae ◽  
Akira Otsuka ◽  
...  

Although cough peak flow (CPF) is an important measurement for evaluating the risk of cough dysfunction, some patients cannot use conventional measurement instruments, such as spirometers, because of the configurational burden of the instruments. Therefore, we previously developed a cough strength estimation method using cough sounds based on a simple acoustic and aerodynamic model. However, the previous model did not consider age or have a user interface for practical application. This study clarifies the cough strength prediction accuracy using an improved model in young and elderly participants. Additionally, a user interface for mobile devices was developed to record cough sounds and estimate cough strength using the proposed method. We then performed experiments on 33 young participants (21.3 ± 0.4 years) and 25 elderly participants (80.4 ± 6.1 years) to test the effect of age on the CPF estimation accuracy. The percentage error between the measured and estimated CPFs was approximately 6.19%. In addition, among the elderly participants, the current model improved the estimation accuracy of the previous model by a percentage error of approximately 6.5% (p < 0.001). Furthermore, Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated no systematic error between the measured and estimated CPFs. These results suggest that the developed device can be applied for daily CPF measurements in clinical practice.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 272-275
Author(s):  
Lan Zhang ◽  
Dan Yu ◽  
Caihong Zhang ◽  
Weidong Zhang

Currently, the forest biomass energy development is at an initial stage and the estimation method for the forest biomass energy resource reserve is to be unified and refined although there is a great value and potential in the development and utilization of forest biomass energy in China. Based on the existing studies, the present paper analyzes the origins and types of forest biomass energy resources in the perspective of sustainable forestry management, constructs the estimation model using a bottom-up approach, and estimates the total existing forest biomass energy resource reserve in China based on the data of the 7th Forest Resource Survey. The estimation method and the calculation results provide the important theoretical ground for promoting the rational development of forest biomass energy in China.


Author(s):  
Xiao Chen ◽  
Zaichen Zhang ◽  
Liang Wu ◽  
Jian Dang

Abstract In this journal, we investigate the beam-domain channel estimation and power allocation in hybrid architecture massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems. First, we propose a low-complexity channel estimation method, which utilizes the beam steering vectors achieved from the direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation and beam gains estimated by low-overhead pilots. Based on the estimated beam information, a purely analog precoding strategy is also designed. Then, the optimal power allocation among multiple beams is derived to maximize spectral efficiency. Finally, simulation results show that the proposed schemes can achieve high channel estimation accuracy and spectral efficiency.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisuke Fujiwara ◽  
Naoki Tsujikawa ◽  
Tetsuya Oshima ◽  
Kojiro Iizuka

Abstract Planetary exploration rovers have required a high traveling performance to overcome obstacles such as loose soil and rocks. Push-pull locomotion rovers is a unique scheme, like an inchworm, and it has high traveling performance on loose soil. Push-pull locomotion uses the resistance force by keeping a locked-wheel related to the ground, whereas the conventional rotational traveling uses the shear force from loose soil. The locked-wheel is a key factor for traveling in the push-pull scheme. Understanding the sinking behavior and its resistance force is useful information for estimating the rover’s performance. Previous studies have reported the soil motion under the locked-wheel, the traction, and the traveling behavior of the rover. These studies were, however, limited to the investigation of the resistance force and amount of sinkage for the particular condition depending on the rover. Additionally, the locked-wheel sinks into the soil until it obtains the required force for supporting the other wheels’ motion. How the amount of sinkage and resistance forces are generated at different wheel sizes and mass of an individual wheel has remained unclear, and its estimation method hasn’t existed. This study, therefore, addresses the relationship between the sinkage and its resistance force, and we analyze and consider this relationship via the towing experiment and theoretical consideration. The results revealed that the sinkage reached a steady-state value and depended on the contact area and mass of each wheel, and the maximum resistance force also depends on this sinkage. Additionally, the estimation model did not capture the same trend as the experimental results when the wheel width changed, whereas, the model captured a relatively the same trend as the experimental result when the wheel mass and diameter changed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 803
Author(s):  
Lingchen Lin ◽  
Kunyong Yu ◽  
Xiong Yao ◽  
Yangbo Deng ◽  
Zhenbang Hao ◽  
...  

As a key canopy structure parameter, the estimation method of the Leaf Area Index (LAI) has always attracted attention. To explore a potential method to estimate forest LAI from 3D point cloud at low cost, we took photos from different angles of the drone and set five schemes (O (0°), T15 (15°), T30 (30°), OT15 (0° and 15°) and OT30 (0° and 30°)), which were used to reconstruct 3D point cloud of forest canopy based on photogrammetry. Subsequently, the LAI values and the leaf area distribution in the vertical direction derived from five schemes were calculated based on the voxelized model. Our results show that the serious lack of leaf area in the middle and lower layers determines that the LAI estimate of O is inaccurate. For oblique photogrammetry, schemes with 30° photos always provided better LAI estimates than schemes with 15° photos (T30 better than T15, OT30 better than OT15), mainly reflected in the lower part of the canopy, which is particularly obvious in low-LAI areas. The overall structure of the single-tilt angle scheme (T15, T30) was relatively complete, but the rough point cloud details could not reflect the actual situation of LAI well. Multi-angle schemes (OT15, OT30) provided excellent leaf area estimation (OT15: R2 = 0.8225, RMSE = 0.3334 m2/m2; OT30: R2 = 0.9119, RMSE = 0.1790 m2/m2). OT30 provided the best LAI estimation accuracy at a sub-voxel size of 0.09 m and the best checkpoint accuracy (OT30: RMSE [H] = 0.2917 m, RMSE [V] = 0.1797 m). The results highlight that coupling oblique photography and nadiral photography can be an effective solution to estimate forest LAI.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2126
Author(s):  
Yuliang Wang ◽  
Mingshi Li

Vegetation measures are crucial for assessing changes in the ecological environment. Fractional vegetation cover (FVC) provides information on the growth status, distribution characteristics, and structural changes of vegetation. An in-depth understanding of the dynamic changes in urban FVC contributes to the sustainable development of ecological civilization in the urbanization process. However, dynamic change detection of urban FVC using multi-temporal remote sensing images is a complex process and challenge. This paper proposed an improved FVC estimation model by fusing the optimized dynamic range vegetation index (ODRVI) model. The ODRVI model improved sensitivity to the water content, roughness degree, and soil type by minimizing the influence of bare soil in areas of sparse vegetation cover. The ODRVI model enhanced the stability of FVC estimation in the near-infrared (NIR) band in areas of dense and sparse vegetation cover through introducing the vegetation canopy vertical porosity (VCVP) model. The verification results confirmed that the proposed model had better performance than typical vegetation index (VI) models for multi-temporal Landsat images. The coefficient of determination (R2) between the ODRVI model and the FVC was 0.9572, which was 7.4% higher than the average R2 of other typical VI models. Moreover, the annual urban FVC dynamics were mapped using the proposed improved FVC estimation model in Hefei, China (1999–2018). The total area of all grades FVC decreased by 33.08% during the past 20 years in Hefei, China. The areas of the extremely low, low, and medium grades FVC exhibited apparent inter-annual fluctuations. The maximum standard deviation of the area change of the medium grade FVC was 13.35%. For other grades of FVC, the order of standard deviation of the change ratio was extremely low FVC > low FVC > medium-high FVC > high FVC. The dynamic mapping of FVC revealed the influence intensity and direction of the urban sprawl on vegetation coverage, which contributes to the strategic development of sustainable urban management plans.


Author(s):  
Mostafa H. Tawfeek ◽  
Karim El-Basyouny

Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) are regression models used to predict the expected number of collisions as a function of various traffic and geometric characteristics. One of the integral components in developing SPFs is the availability of accurate exposure factors, that is, annual average daily traffic (AADT). However, AADTs are not often available for minor roads at rural intersections. This study aims to develop a robust AADT estimation model using a deep neural network. A total of 1,350 rural four-legged, stop-controlled intersections from the Province of Alberta, Canada, were used to train the neural network. The results of the deep neural network model were compared with the traditional estimation method, which uses linear regression. The results indicated that the deep neural network model improved the estimation of minor roads’ AADT by 35% when compared with the traditional method. Furthermore, SPFs developed using linear regression resulted in models with statistically insignificant AADTs on minor roads. Conversely, the SPF developed using the neural network provided a better fit to the data with both AADTs on minor and major roads being statistically significant variables. The findings indicated that the proposed model could enhance the predictive power of the SPF and therefore improve the decision-making process since SPFs are used in all parts of the safety management process.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuebo Yang ◽  
Cheng Wang ◽  
Sheng Nie ◽  
Xiaohuan Xi ◽  
Zhenyue Hu ◽  
...  

The terrain slope is one of the most important surface characteristics for quantifying the Earth surface processes. Space-borne LiDAR sensors have produced high-accuracy and large-area terrain measurement within the footprint. However, rigorous procedures are required to accurately estimate the terrain slope especially within the large footprint since the estimated slope is likely affected by footprint size, shape, orientation, and terrain aspect. Therefore, based on multiple available datasets, we explored the performance of a proposed terrain slope estimation model over several study sites and various footprint shapes. The terrain slopes were derived from the ICESAT/GLAS waveform data by the proposed method and five other methods in this study. Compared with five other methods, the proposed method considered the influence of footprint shape, orientation, and terrain aspect on the terrain slope estimation. Validation against the airborne LiDAR measurements showed that the proposed method performed better than five other methods (R2 = 0.829, increased by ~0.07, RMSE = 3.596°, reduced by ~0.6°, n = 858). In addition, more statistics indicated that the proposed method significantly improved the terrain slope estimation accuracy in high-relief region (RMSE = 5.180°, reduced by ~1.8°, n = 218) or in the footprint with a great eccentricity (RMSE = 3.421°, reduced by ~1.1°, n = 313). Therefore, from these experiments, we concluded that this terrain slope estimation approach was beneficial for different terrains and various footprint shapes in practice and the improvement of estimated accuracy was distinctly related with the terrain slope and footprint eccentricity.


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