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NDVI

The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a widely used remote sensing indicator for vegetation health, productivity, and land cover dynamics.

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index

Description

NDVI is a spectral index derived from satellite imagery, calculated using the difference between near-infrared (NIR) and red reflectance values. Healthy vegetation reflects more NIR and absorbs more red light, producing higher NDVI values. It is one of the most established and globally used vegetation indices, serving as a proxy for plant biomass, productivity, and ecological condition.

Type

Spectral vegetation index (remote sensing)

Sector

Agriculture, Forestry, Biodiversity Monitoring, Climate Science

Jurisdiction

Global

Established / Active Since

1970s (first introduced by Rouse et al., 1973)

Maintained By / Organised By

N/A (open, globally applied methodology)

Official Resources

Relationship to Lemu

NDVI is integrated into Lemu’s Atlas platform as one of the spectral vegetation indicators. While Lemu’s own indicators go beyond traditional NDVI, incorporating biodiversity and ecological science, NDVI serves as a baseline metric within Atlas for vegetation productivity and land cover monitoring.

Example in Practice

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A forestry company uses NDVI Analysis to assess forest canopy health and identify degraded areas.
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An agricultural producer applies NDVI Trend to monitor seasonal crop performance and anticipate yield variability.
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A conservation NGO tracks NDVI Trend over multiple years to evaluate the effectiveness of habitat restoration projects.

Cross-Mapping with Atlas Indicators

Updated on Aug 30, 2025