@article{fdi:010075714,
  title = {{A} leaf area index data set acquired in {S}ahelian rangelands of {G}ourma in {M}ali over the 2005-2017 period},
  author = {{M}ougin, {E}. and {D}iawara, {M}. {O}. and {S}oumaguel, {N}. and {M}aiga, {A}. {A}. and {D}emarez, {V}. and {H}iernaux, {P}. and {G}rippa, {M}. and {C}haffard, {V}{\'e}ronique and {B}a, {A}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he leaf area index of {S}ahelian rangelands and related variables such as the vegetation cover fraction, the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation and the clumping index were measured between 2005 and 2017 in the {G}ourma region of northern {M}ali. {T}hese variables, known as climate essential variables, were derived from the acquisition and the processing of hemispherical photographs taken along 1 km linear sampling transects for five contrasted canopies and one millet field. {T}he same sampling protocol was applied in a seasonally inundated {A}cacia open forest, along a 0.5 km transect, by taking photographs of the understorey and the tree canopy. {T}hese observations collected over more than a decade, in a remote and not very accessible region, provide a relevant and unique data set that can be used for a better understanding of the {S}ahelian vegetation response to the current rainfall changes. {T}he collected data can also be used for satellite product evaluation and land surface model development and validation. {T}his paper aims to present the field work that was carried out during 13 successive rainy seasons, the measured vegetation variables, and the associated open database. {F}inally, a few examples of data use are shown. {DOI} of the referenced data set:},
  keywords = {{MALI} ; {ZONE} {SAHELIENNE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{E}arth {S}ystem {S}cience {D}ata},
  volume = {11},
  numero = {2},
  pages = {675--686},
  ISSN = {1866-3508},
  year = {2019},
  DOI = {10.5194/essd-11-675-2019},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010075714},
}