Effect of canopy structure and the presence of snow on the albedo of boreal conifer forests

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Abstract
A Geometric‐Optical and Radiative Transfer (GORT) approach for modeling the radiation regime within plant canopies is capable of predicting temporal variation in the albedo of boreal conifer forests. Model predictions of daily surface albedo patterns and reflected solar radiation during the winter and summer seasons were validated using field measurements from two forest stands in the northern study area of BOReal Ecosystem‐Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) in 1995. The model is able to predict the “W” shape for the daily albedo over the sparse old jack pine forest stand during the snow season and the “bowl” shape of daily albedo during clear days in the summer. Results immediately following new snow and at the end of the snowmelt season indicate the sensitivity of overall forest albedos to the albedo of snow. Incorporation of time‐varying values for snow albedo may improve future efforts to estimate forest albedos in the winter.Forest albedos are a complicated function of the canopy structure, the presence or absence of snow on the ground and the angular distribution of irradiance. These effects differ for the visible, near‐infrared and midinfrared portions of the solar spectrum. Forest albedos vary dramatically as a function of canopy cover when snow covers the ground, but very little when snow is not present. It is found that for tree cover over about 70%, the presence of snow has little effect on albedo.

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