Global Yearly Leaf Area Index (LAI) in 2000-2020

Leaf Area Index (LAI) is a critical parameter in ecology and agriculture that represents the total one-sided green leaf area per unit ground surface area. It is typically expressed in square meters of leaf area per square meter of ground area (m²/m²). LAI is an essential indicator for understanding plant canopy structure, photosynthetic capacity, and the overall health of vegetation.The product integrates three LAI datasets—NOAA CDR, MODIS LAI, and ERA5—using the inverse distance weighted error theory to generate a global 1-kilometer annual LAI product for the period 2000-2020.