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Linking Grassland Canopy Structure and Function Responses to Field Experimental Drought Both Seasonally and
Mariela Encarnación Ojeda1,2, Xiangming Xiao1, Emily U Nguyen1
1School of Biological Sciences University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA.
Droughts shift prairie plant communities, favoring C3 species and reducing productivity. Remote sensing revealed how these changes affect canopy structure and spectral reflectance, particularly in the near-infrared spectrum.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Remote Sensing
- Plant Biology
Background:
- Water-limited ecosystems like temperate prairies experience significant community shifts during summer droughts.
- Experimental and long-term droughts show a decline in C4 species and an increase in C3 species, reducing aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP).
Purpose of the Study:
- To link experimental drought-induced shifts in species composition with changes in canopy structure and function using remote sensing.
- To investigate the impact of an experimental precipitation gradient on canopy spectral reflectance seasonally and interannually.
- To correlate canopy reflectance variations with canopy structure and plant species composition under experimental drought.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a long-term experimental precipitation study with seven rainfall levels (from -100% to +50%).
- Analyzed seasonal and interannual variations in canopy spectral reflectance.
- Assessed changes in canopy structure and plant species composition along the precipitation gradient.
Main Results:
- Seasonal and interannual precipitation variations were detectable in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum.
- Drier conditions correlated with lower normalized vegetation index (NDVI) and higher leaf area index (LAI) due to reduced greenness and increased litter.
- The abundance of specific C3 species, like *Lespedeza cuneata*, influenced canopy reflectance, mediating drought responses.
Conclusions:
- Canopy spectral reflectance, particularly in the NIR, serves as an indicator of drought impacts on temperate prairie ecosystems.
- Species-specific abundance plays a crucial role in modulating canopy structure and function under varying precipitation regimes.
- Further research should explore resource allocation to canopy architecture and leaf traits' influence on canopy reflectance.
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