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Updated: Sep 26, 2026

Field Measurement of Effective Leaf Area Index using Optical Device in Vegetation Canopy
Published on: July 29, 2021
Reflectance of Alaskan black spruce and white spruce foliage in relation to elevation and latitude
Andrew D Richardson1, Graeme P Berlyn, Shane P Duigan
1School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 370 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. andrew.richardson@yale.edu
Abstract:
Leaf reflectance at visible and near-infrared wavelengths (400-1000 nm) is related primarily to pigmentation, leaf structure and water content, and is an important tool for studying stress physiology and relationships between plants and their growth environment. We studied reflectance of two co-occurring Alaskan conifers, black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), at elevations from 60 to 930 m a.s.l. along a latitudinal gradient from 61 degrees to 68 degrees N. Black spruce samples were collected from 24 sites and white spruce from 30 sites. Overall, reflectance spectra of the two species were similar, but from 400 to 700 nm, needle reflectance was consistently higher in black spruce than in white spruce (all P
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