Scientific Reports (Aug 2017)

Remote sensing of seasonal light use efficiency in temperate bog ecosystems

  • R. Tortini,
  • N. C. Coops,
  • Z. Nesic,
  • A. Christen,
  • S. C. Lee,
  • T. Hilker

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08102-x
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Abstract Despite storing approximately half of the atmosphere’s carbon, estimates of fluxes between wetlands and atmosphere under current and future climates are associated with large uncertainties, and it remains a challenge to determine human impacts on the net greenhouse gas balance of wetlands at the global scale. In this study we demonstrate that the relationship between photochemical reflectance index, derived from high spectral and temporal multi-angular observations, and vegetation light use efficiency was strong (r2 = 0.64 and 0.58 at the hotspot and darkspot, respectively), and can be utilized to estimate carbon fluxes from remote at temperate bog ecosystems. These results improve our understanding of the interactions between vegetation physiology and spectral characteristics to understand seasonal magnitudes and variations in light use efficiency, opening new perspectives on the potential of this technique over extensive areas with different landcover.