Vegetation conditions
Remote sensing provides the best means to monitor changes in vegetation over time across large areas. The Fraction of Vegetation Cover (FVC) from LSASAF is a product derived for the MSG SEVIRI satellite channels and gives the fraction of vegetation per unit area on a horizontal surface (http://www.eumetrain.org/resources/monitoring_vegetation.html). It is based on the different spectral signatures of vegetation and background in the MSG channels on the central wavelengths of 0.6, 0.8 and 1.6 µm. The hydrological conditions during 2013 lead to favorable conditions for vegetation to grow (Figure 5a). In fact, when considering the FVC obtained on 30 June 2013 and the mean June conditions, positive anomalies appear in northwestern Iberian Peninsula, including the Caramulo area (Figure 5c).
Figure 5: LSASAF FVC values for June on average (a), for 30 June 2013 (b), and for the difference between the mean values and those of 30 June 2013 (c). Greenish values signify thicker vegetation cover than the monthly mean while yellowish tones mark below-average values.