Canopy Cover
Canopy cover is defined as the percentage of the ground covered by a vertical projection of the outermost perimeter of the natural spread of the foliage of plants.
The value cannot exceed 100%. Canopy cover strongly influences the water, energy and matter fluxes of land surfaces. Canopy cover is notably very important when evaluating hydrological processes. Indeed, vegetation extent affects the amount of intercepted rainfalls and influences the fraction of bare ground, more sensitive to potential run-off and erosion.
Unit: Fraction or percentage