Webinar - Estimating Leaf Traits from Optical Properties across a Latitudinal Gradient in Arctic Al скачать в хорошем качестве

Webinar - Estimating Leaf Traits from Optical Properties across a Latitudinal Gradient in Arctic Al

Field Spectroscopy for Arctic Vegetation Research Arctic ecosystems are warming nearly four times faster than the global average, driving major changes in vegetation, ecosystem processes, and carbon cycling. One of the most visible shifts is the rapid expansion of woody shrubs across tundra landscapes - a phenomenon known as shrubification - which is reshaping plant communities and influencing ecosystem services such as carbon uptake and habitat availability. In this webinar, researchers from Columbia University and Macalester College (Ian Shuman & Mary Heskel) present new findings from the EVOME (Evolving Meta-Ecosystems) project, which investigates how Arctic vegetation traits vary across a 300 km latitudinal gradient on Alaska’s North Slope. Using hyperspectral measurements collected with Spectral Evolution’s NaturaSpec, the team measured optical properties of leaves alongside key physiological and functional traits across multiple plant species. By applying partial least squares regression (PLSR) models, the researchers demonstrate how leaf spectra can be used to estimate important plant traits such as leaf mass per area, nitrogen content, and stomatal conductance. These results highlight the growing potential of hyperspectral spectroscopy to rapidly assess plant function across remote ecosystems. Ultimately, this work aims to scale leaf-level observations to landscape-level monitoring using airborne hyperspectral imagery, enabling scientists to track how Arctic vegetation traits - and the ecosystem services they provide - are evolving in response to climate change. Watch to learn how spectroscopy is helping scientists better understand and monitor the future of Arctic ecosystems. #RemoteSensing #FieldSpectroscopy #HyperspectralImaging #PlantTraits #ArcticResearch #ClimateChangeScience #VegetationScience #EcologyResearch #EnvironmentalMonitoring #Spectroscopy