Christopher Wong 1st First Authored Paper on Using Proximal Leaf-scale Remote Sensing

Carotenoid based vegetation indices for accurate monitoring of the phenology of photosynthesis at the leaf-scale in deciduous and evergreen trees

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034425719304262?via%3Dihub

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.111407

 Tracking the seasonal dynamics of photosynthetic activity for evergreen conifers using satellite-based remote sensing is difficult, causing errors in carbon uptake models. In this paper, we used proximal leaf-scale remote sensing to assess carotenoid pigment dynamics, which are involved in regulating photosynthetic activity in response to the environment. We performed this study for 2-years at Turkey Point, ON, in evergreen and deciduous forests. We demonstrate that remotely assessing carotenoid pigment dynamics provides a powerful tool to track the seasonal dynamics of photosynthesis in both evergreen and deciduous trees. This method provides a promising technique to improve monitoring of seasonal photosynthetic activity via remote sensing and therefore improved assessment of the terrestrial carbon budget, which has been elusive.

November 4, 2019