The Accelerated Canopy Chemistry Program (ACCP) was an investigation to determine the theoretical and empirical basis for remote sensing of nitrogen and lignin concentrations in vegetation canopies of different ecosystems. The ACCP data sets consist of Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) images, laboratory chemical analysis of field samples, laboratory spectra and chemical analyses from several mini-canopy experiments, and canopy modeling data. The spatial coverage of these data is the U.S.A., the temporal coverage varies, and the data themes are chemical composition, spectral analysis, and remote sensing.

See the project Campaign Document.

Learn more about the Canopy Chemistry Project by using the following on-line resources:

• Canopy Chemistry Data Set Documents
• Canopy Chemistry Bibliography

Find and order data sets:

• See list of data sets
• Browse by attributes

Download data sets directly:

• FTP site

Analyses were performed to determine carbon constituents and nitrogen content in fresh forest foliage. Samples were analyzed using a series of extractions that yielded different carbon constituents: non-polar, polar, cellulose, and lignin. Nitrogen analyses were conducted using a standard combustion procedure.

Approximately 1000 leaf samples were collected from 5 geographically distinct sites and analyzed at the University of New Hampshire to ensure consistency in analysis. Results were used as a calibration set for Visible/NIR reflectance and the estimation of carbon and nitrogen concentrations at both the leaf and canopy level. The canopy level study used high spectral resolution data from NASA's AVIRIS to estimate canopy level nitrogen and lignin concentration for the Harvard Forest and other study areas.