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Mapping functional diversity from remotely sensed morphological and physiological forest traits.

Fabian D Schneider1, Felix Morsdorf2, Bernhard Schmid3

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Remote Sensing
  • Forestry

Background:

  • Assessing forest functional diversity is crucial for predicting ecosystem productivity and stability.
  • Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships are key to understanding global ecological patterns.
  • Remote sensing offers a scalable approach to monitor forest ecosystems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a novel, spatially continuous method for mapping tree functional diversity from space.
  • To integrate variations in plant functional traits (morphological and physiological) between and within species.
  • To demonstrate the potential of remote sensing for assessing functional diversity at various scales.

Main Methods:

  • Combined airborne laser scanning (ALS) and imaging spectroscopy data.
  • Developed a method independent of prior taxonomic information.
  • Validated the approach using leaf-level field measurements and species-level plot inventory data.

Main Results:

  • The method showed reasonable agreement with ground-based measurements.
  • Functional diversity patterns correlated with topography and soil conditions.
  • Functional richness increased logarithmically with area, while divergence and evenness were scale-invariant.

Conclusions:

  • Remote sensing, using combined laser scanning and imaging spectroscopy, provides a powerful tool for mapping forest functional diversity.
  • The methodology is robust and applicable from individual trees to entire forest communities.
  • This approach offers a scalable pathway for global assessment of forest functional diversity, limited primarily by technological advancements.