Collaborative Research: Top-down Analysis of Forest Ecosystem Structure and Functioning

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AbstractVitousek0108492This research will use advances in technology, theory, and vegetation-radiation models to determine the structural and chemical properties of tropical forest canopies from aircraft and spacecraft vantage points. The research will be carried out in forests of the Hawaiian Islands, that include unique species diversity, broad ranges of climates and soil types, and intensive ongoing biogeochemical research. Measurements of canopy structure and chemistry will be carried out at multiple ecological scales and across a range of Hawaiian forests conditions. Remote sensing measurements will then be obtained from a helicopter hovering above the canopy, from the aircraft-based AVIRIS instrument at 20 km altitude, and from the spaceborne Hyperion sensor. Forest structure and chemistry in a broader set of ecosystems will also be evaluated with the aircraft and satellite sensors, and checked with intensive ground and helicopter measurements. This approach offers the possibility of assessing spatial variation in canopy characteristics and ecosystem properties from the top down. Rather than being limited to a few discrete sites, it should be possible to use these new remote sensing observations to identify the magnitude and structure of spatial variation in biogeochemical properties of ecosystems. This research also will contribute to integration of remote sensing, biophysical modeling, and ecosystem ecology, and to the education of students. The results are expected to improve understanding of how forest canopies can be studied at large spatial scales, and how the measurements can be used to assess the contribution of different forest canopy conditions to ecosystem services in the region.