Tropical Dry Forests: Remote sensing and ecological fingerprints of ecosystem succession

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Seasonally dry tropical forests (TDFs) account for 42% of all tropical forests and contain a wealth of unique biodiversity. Plant species in this ecosystem are characterized by slower growth rates, restricted reproductive episodes, and more structural and physiological diversity than found in tropical rainforests. TDFs are important reservoirs of ecosystem services for communities around the world. In the Americas, alone, it is estimated that nearly 60 million people benefit from the services that they provide (e.g. water production, pollination). Despite of their importance, little is known about these ecological, biophysical/hydrological processes and their linkages to these ecosystems' services. ******The objective of the proposed research program aims to fill key knowledge gaps related to how TDFs may respond to climate change and, in turn, the consequent shifts produced in their ecosystem services. Short-term goals of my research program focus on three specific research areas: (1) Characterization of the spectral reflectance of lianas and trees in the long-wave thermal infrared: I propose to expand our past work at the leaf level into the long-wave thermal infrared (TIR: 7.5µm to 12.5µm) to explore differences between lianas and trees and the mechanisms that control the reflectance in TIR; (2) Quantifying TDF response to climate change: This component of my work will aim to determine if TDFs are nearing high temperature thresholds that would affect their CO2 uptake as well as their phenological response using key variables such as CO2/H2O fluxes and the Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR); (3) Quantifying the impact of lianas on TDFs' structure: As lianas become more dominant in tropical environments, I propose to examine - using ground LiDAR derived technologies - the impact that they have on TDFs' structure across different levels of ecological succession. Over the long-term: My research program will contribute to scientific knowledge in the nexus between remote sensing and ecological processes across different stages of secondary regeneration. ******I expect that the outcome of my work will assist policy makers in developing cost-effective, results-oriented methods for preserving TDFs across the Americas.**