Spectranomics

 Publications  |  Technical Protocols

Mapping the biodiversity and functioning of forests is critical to understanding how best to conserve and manage them in a changing world. Advanced GAO mapping technology has reached performance levels required for operational monitoring of forest biodiversity and functional properties from the air. However, spectral-chemical libraries are needed to further advance our understanding and to make maximum use of the technology.

The Spectranomics Triad: Plant Phylogeny, Spectroscopy, and Canopy Chemistry

The approach called Spectranomics integrates canopy chemical and spectral properties in a phylogenetic (tree-of-life) context that advances current CAO and future satellite mapping techniques based on high-fidelity imaging spectroscopy.

Spectroscopic Signatures of Thousands of Plant Canopy Species

In support of this unique GAO capability, the Spectranomics Group and its partners are actively surveying forests worldwide with the goal of advancing the basic science needed to map forest canopy species from their chemical and spectroscopic traits.

Spectranomics Field Sites

The team has developed the world’s first Spectranomics Database, Sample Library and Frozen Forest, numerous and widely used Field and Laboratory Protocols, and a plethora of Publications (click Techniques, then Spectranomics) that link plant canopies to their spectroscopic and chemical properties. The Spectranomics Database is a critical step required to support regional and global biodiversity mapping efforts in the coming decades.

An example forest canopy specimen voucher in the Spectranomics Library (photo: National Geographic Magazine)