In Africa, rainfall is the most important factor that affects where people and animals live, and influences patterns of plant growth. Life thrives when rain falls. These Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) images show characteristics of vegetation in Africa during December 2000. LAI corresponds to the green leaf area and FPAR measures how much sunlight the leaves are absorbing. The measurements were taken by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite.

For more information, high-resolution images, and animations, visit MODIS instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite improves global vegetation mapping, makes new observations possible.

Images courtesy NASA/GSFC/Boston University