Remote Estimation of Gross Primary Production (GPP) using MODIS data in Kelantan: A Preliminary Assessment

Abstract

Kelantan state is located in the north-eastern of Peninsular Malaysia, with 5.8 million hectares is covered by forested areas. Gross primary production (GPP) is the amount of carbon captured by plants and it is an important biophysical parameter in the spatio-temporal dynamics of CO₂. GPP estimates derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are converted to the forest area and compared. GPP is estimated through a light use efficiency model (LUE) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) as a proxy of greenness to address spatial and temporal variation in terrestrial photosynthetic activities. This study is important because the output will be used as a reference to estimate the approximate total carbon in Kelantan. Estimation GPP of Kelantan state is also useful for natural resource and land management, regional carbon cycle analysis, ecosystem status assessment, and environmental change monitoring. The objective of this study is to estimate Gross Primary Production (GPP) value of forested area in Kelantan using MODIS data. MODIS data was preprocessed, classified and analysed to get the estimated GPP of study site. The results show that average GPP value of Kelantan was estimated within the range of 0 to 646 gC/m2/month. In average, GPP in Kelantan was at 428.63 gC/m2/month. Gua Musang recorded the highest GPP value, while the lowest GPP value detected were in Kota Bharu, Tumpat and Bachok where lot of development are found at the area. The estimation of GPP in Kelantan using MODIS data is a timely significant method. However, the requirement of more study that uses MODIS data in different terrestrial types and vegetation is needed for future study.