Monitoring plant functional diversity from space

Jetz, Walter; Cavender‐Bares, Jeannine; Pavlick, Ryan; Schimel, David; Davis, Frank W.; Asner, Gregory P.; Guralnick, Robert; Kattge, Jens; Latimer, Andrew M.; Moorcroft, Paul; Schaepman, Michael E.; Schildhauer, Mark; Schneider, Fabian; Schrodt, Franziska; Stahl, Ulrike; Ustin, Susan L.

doi:10.1038/nplants.2016.24

Cited by 284 publications

(279 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…This ‘traits manifesto’ (Reich, ) has seen a dramatic rise in popularity in recent years, improving our understanding of community assembly (Siefert et al ., ) and ecosystem responses to warming (Soudzilovskaia et al ., ). However, progress is hampered by fundamental unknowns regarding the nature of trait variation and physiological tradeoffs (Siefert et al ., ; Díaz et al ., ; Shipley et al ., ), by issues of prediction across scales (Messier et al ., ), and by uneven data coverage among traits, species, and ecosystems (Iversen et al ., ; Jetz et al ., ; Bjorkman et al ., ,b). For trait‐based ecology to reach its full potential, trait–function relationships must be tested across the world's biomes, including in our planet's most extreme environments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant traits inform predictions of tundra responses to global change

2018

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Contents Summary1742I.Introduction1742II.The global context of tundra trait variation1743III.The current state of knowledge on trait change in the tundra biome1744IV.The links between traits and ecosystem functions1744V.Future priorities for tundra trait research1746VI.Conclusions1746References1747 Summary In the rapidly warming tundra biome, plant traits provide an essential link between ongoing vegetation change and feedbacks to key ecosystem functions. However, only recently have comprehensive trait data been compiled for tundra species and sites, allowing us to assess key elements of functional responses to global change. In this review, we summarize trait‐based research in tundra ecosystems, with a focus on three components: plant trait variation and how it compares with global patterns; shifts in community‐level traits in response to environmental change; and the use of traits to understand and predict ecosystem function. Quantifying patterns and trends in plant traits will allow us to better project the consequences of environmental change for the ecology and functioning of tundra ecosystems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant traits inform predictions of tundra responses to global change

2018

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“…There is currently great interest in using hyperspectroscopy as a tool for studying the chemical and structural traits of leaves, particularly because improved airborne sensors and faster computing make it possible to map functional traits from the air (Ustin et al, 2009;Asner and Martin, 2016b;Jetz et al, 2016;Asner et al, 2017). Plans to put hyperspectral sensors into space (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the challenges of using field spectroscopy to measure the impact of soil type on leaf traits

2017

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Abstract. Understanding the causes of variation in functional plant traits is a central issue in ecology, particularly in the context of global change. Spectroscopy is increasingly used for rapid and non-destructive estimation of foliar traits, but few studies have evaluated its accuracy when assessing phenotypic variation in multiple traits. Working with 24 chemical and physical leaf traits of six European tree species growing on strongly contrasting soil types (i.e. deep alluvium versus nearby shallow chalk), we asked (i) whether variability in leaf traits is greater between tree species or soil type, and (ii) whether field spectroscopy is effective at predicting intraspecific variation in leaf traits as well as interspecific differences. Analysis of variance showed that interspecific differences in traits were generally much stronger than intraspecific differences related to soil type, accounting for 25 % versus 5 % of total trait variation, respectively. Structural traits, phenolic defences and pigments were barely affected by soil type. In contrast, foliar concentrations of rock-derived nutrients did vary: P and K concentrations were lower on chalk than alluvial soils, while Ca, Mg, B, Mn and Zn concentrations were all higher, consistent with the findings of previous ecological studies. Foliar traits were predicted from 400 to 2500 nm reflectance spectra collected by field spectroscopy using partial least square regression, a method that is commonly employed in chemometrics. Pigments were best modelled using reflectance data from the visible region (400-700 nm), while all other traits were best modelled using reflectance data from the shortwave infrared region (1100-2500 nm). Spectroscopy delivered accurate predictions of species-level variation in traits. However, it was ineffective at detecting intraspecific variation in rock-derived nutrients (with the notable exception of P). The explanation for this failure is that rock-derived elements do not have absorption features in the 400-2500 nm region, and their estimation is indirect, relying on elemental concentrations covarying with structural traits that do have absorption features in that spectral region ("constellation effects"). Since the structural traits did not vary with soil type, it was impossible for our regression models to predict intraspecific variation in rock-derived nutrients via constellation effects. This study demonstrates the value of spectroscopy for rapid, non-destructive estimation of foliar traits across species, but highlights problems with predicting intraspecific variation indirectly. We discuss the implications of these findings for mapping functional traits by airborne imaging spectroscopy.

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“…Spectroscopy is increasingly being considered a promising tool in ecology because of its ability to measure subtle differences in plant species' properties (Jetz et al, ; Lausch et al, ). Our measurement procedure is unique in its potential to estimate both biochemical and physical properties of individual species in the absence of background scattering effects, in contrast to conventional (Table ) or alternative measurement methods (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A novel procedure for measuring functional traits of herbaceous species through field spectroscopy

et al. 2019

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Collecting species‐level information on plant functional traits is highly relevant for understanding ecosystem functioning under global change. Measuring optical properties of plant species is a promising approach to retrieve such data, but standardized protocols are essential. Due to fine‐scale heterogeneity of many vegetation types, measuring the spectral response, as a proxy for functional traits, of individual plant species remains challenging using conventional approaches. Here we present a novel method for measuring the reflectance of individual species in situ. The procedure consists of measuring monospecific arrangements of plant individuals on a black, light absorbing table, preserving structural plant properties while avoiding the admixture of other species, soil or non‐photosynthetically active vegetation. To evaluate the feasibility of the approach, a case study was conducted on forbs, where we collected and compared the reflectance of 16 herbaceous species at different phenological stages, both using common field spectroscopy and by following our novel procedure. Our procedure accurately represented spectral and functional differences between species. Spectral shape, and to a lesser extent, amplitude differences between species were preserved (SAM: Mantel r = 0.69 and p = 0.001; Manhattan distance: Mantel r = 0.42 and p = 0.002). Moreover, the method was able to capture the pattern of functional traits present among the sampled species (Procrustes r = 0.81 and p = 0.001). The new method is promising for building databases of plant traits based on spectral libraries. It might, moreover, form a standardized procedure for field campaigns, especially in the context of mixed grasslands and forb systems where relatively small plants dominate the ecosystem.

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Monitoring plant functional diversity from space

Cited by 284 publications

References 82 publications

Plant traits inform predictions of tundra responses to global change

Plant traits inform predictions of tundra responses to global change

On the challenges of using field spectroscopy to measure the impact of soil type on leaf traits

A novel procedure for measuring functional traits of herbaceous species through field spectroscopy

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