Title:

Near Infrared Reflectance Across Scales Sheds Light on Forest Function and Structure

Near infrared reflectance (NIRr) from forest canopies has been linked to estimates of photosynthesis and leaf nitrogen (%N). These relationships offer a useful means of scaling forest carbon assimilation over broad spatial scales using optical remote sensing, but they also pose a conundrum in that the traits in question have no direct effect on reflectance and because NIR light is not used by plants during photosynthesis. One hypothesis to explain these results points towards species-specific strategies to optimize light interception for different levels of foliar %N and photosynthetic capacity (e.g., by varying leaf angle), and associated patterns of carbon allocation that have a direct bearing on crown geometry. Although intriguing, our understanding of linkages between leaf traits and canopy structure, and how they relate to patterns of NIRr remains incomplete. Here, we made measurements of NIRr across leaf, branch, and individual tree crown scales to better understand how patterns of NIRr develop in forests, and how they are related to forest function and structure.

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