During the spring, measurements of understory leaf extension and canopy coverage were made on several days to describe the phenology of an aspen stand. Measurements of the optical properties of canopy components were made for wavelengths between 0.35 and 2.1 micrometers. Reflectance and transmittance properties of leaves and needles of eight major overstory tree species and three understory shrubs were measured. Multiple measurements of aspen and spruce allow an investigation of the variability of optical properties within a species, spagnum moss and leaf litter. The helicopter MMR data have a spatial resolution of approximately 32 meters.
Several sites have multiple observations, to allow studies of seasonal variation.
A key goal of the experiment was to use the aircraft measurements to scale up to satellite observations for the remote sensing of biophysical parameters. Recent research findings based on the SNF data have been published by Dr. Scott Goetz , University of Maryland.