During a field experiment, we used a smartphone app (BioLeaf) to measure the percentage of tissue removed by herbivores on plant leaves. In addition, this app also displayed the Leaf Area Index (LAI).
We want to estimate the leaf area, but we can't calculate this using the formula: Leaf area = LAI * Ground area, because we don't know the Ground area. As far as I know, the BioLeaf app uses Pixels as a measurement of area.
Does anybody know if exists a way to obtain Leaf Area using the LAI? Or if I can use de LAI as an estimator of the leaf size in my statistical analysis?
Best regards.
I think it only represents the defoliation percentage with respect to the leaf area only, not ground area. For any query, you can clarify by mailing the software developers.
In fact, using LAI is a very common method for comparisons of crop stands.
LAI relates unit leaf area to unit ground area. LAI = 1 means, leaf area is equal to ground area. All the leaves from your plot would completely cover it, without any overlapping. If your leaf area is 0.5 cm² or 0.5 m², ground area would be the same.
LAI > 1 means, leaf area is bigger than ground area due to overlapping of leaves.
You could compare the measured LAI with measurements in healthy plants to estimate the degree of damage.
Leaf area index as a measure of plant leaves area divided by the field area were they are planting (no units). and it differs from confers and broad leaved plants.
= leaf area / ground area, m2 / m2
it is important especially for field crops
Jorita Krieger
Ok, thanks for clarifying me the concept of LAI and their use in agriculture. I understand that LAI is related to the ground area, but I think that LAI is an indirect measurement of leaf size. Unfortunately, the plants I used are located in the forest, and I don’t have an estimation of plot area for each plant.
In particular, I'm trying to compare LAI from female and hermaphrodite plants in order to analyze differences in leaves size between these sexual forms. I expect that females have smaller leaves than hermaphrodites (according to sexual differences in resources allocation). However, I am not sure if it is correct to use LAI as an indicator of leaf size. What do you think about it? I think it is not right to use this index.
Azhar Sahib Bindia Gupta Thank you, I've already write to the developers of the software.
The relyability of LAI values highly depends on the measuring device. So, as Bindia Gupta already mentioned, you should ask the developers, if the software is sentitiv enough to differentiate between the different types of leaves.
At this time, the developers does not have idea how to solve my problem. Maybe, I will drop this variable from my analysis. Thank you to all for your answers.
Go through literature in order to find conventional methods of measuring herbivory. All the best.
I know this is too late for your past experiment, but if you want to measure leaf area, I recommend LeafByte. It's a free and open source app for iPhones and iPads. Unlike Bioleaf, it can measure absolute leaf area and leaf area consumed. It also automatically saves your data for you in a spreadsheet.
You can download it in the app store or read more about LeafByte at the website below. You can also check out the FAQ page for ways to measure leaves non-destructively and in the field.
https://zoegp.science/leafbyte
https://zoegp.science/leafbyte-faqs
Disclaimer-I was involved in making this app, but since it's free, I make no money from its use.
Zoe Getman-Pickering Thank you, I will try it the next time in the field.
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