Forest health depends on intrinsic (intra- and interseasonal
variation) and external (stress) factors. Any determination of
external-disturbance-specific change threshold therefore neces-
sitates a calibration for natural variability when sustainability
is concerned. This research will evaluate leaf area index as
quantitative indicator for vitality, plant-diversity and CO2
sink potential. Models will be established correlating detailed
terrain measurements with remote-sensing-derived vegetation
indices, incorporating landscape metrics as weight factors.
