Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Remote sensing of canopy chemistry and nitrogen cycling in temperate forest ecosystems

Nature volume 335, pages 154–156 (1988)Cite this article

Abstract

Foliar lignin content (referring to acid-insoluble fibre in foliage) is a primary rate-limiting factor of forest-litter decomposition and is thus important in modulating nutrient-cycling rates in forest ecosystems. Here we report the use of images acquired by the Airborne Imaging Spectrometer, an experimental high-spectral-resolution imaging sensor developed by NASA, to estimate the lignin concentration of whole forest canopies in Wisconsin. The observed strong relationship between canopy lignin concentration and nitrogen availability (through nitrogen mineralization) in seven undisturbed forest ecosystems on Blackhawk Island, Wisconsin, suggests that canopy lignin may serve as an index for site nitrogen status. This predictive relationship presents the opportunity to estimate nitrogen-cycling rates across forested landscapes through remote sensing.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Tucker, C. J., Fung, I. Y., Keeling, C. D. & Gammon, R. H. Nature 319, 195–197 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Peterson, D. L., Spanner, M. A., Running, S. W. & Teuber, K. B. Remote Sens. Envir. 22, 323–341 (1987).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Asrar, G., Fuchs, M., Kanemasu, E. T. & Hatfield, J. L. Agron. J. 76, 300–304 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Pastor, J., Aber, J. D., McClaugherty, C. A. & Melillo, J. M. Ecology 65, 256–268 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Nadelhoffer, K. J., Aber, J. D. & Melillo, J. M. Plant and Soil 80, 321–324 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. McClaugherty, C. A., Pastor, J., Aber, J. D. & Melillo, J. M. Ecology 66, 266–275 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Melillo, J. M., Aber, J. D. & Muratore, J. F. Ecology 63, 621–626 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Goetz, A. F. H., Vane, G., Solomon, J. E. & Rock, B. N. Science 228, 1147–1153 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hlavka, C. Proc. Second AIS Data Analysis Workshop (JPL Publn 86-85) 74–78 (1986).

  10. Wessman, C. A., Aber, J. D. & Peterson, D. L. Proc. Int. Geosci. Remote Sens. Symp. 2, 1189–1192 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Conel, J. E., Adams, S., Alley, R. E., Hoover, G. & Shultz, S. Proc. Second AIS Data Analysis Workshop (JPL Publ. 86-85) 31–39 (1986).

  12. Dixit, L. & Ram, S. Appl. Spectrosc. Rev. 21, 311–418 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Rencher, A. C. & Pun, F. C. Technometrics 22, 49–53 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Wessman, C. A. thesis, Univ. Wisconsin, Madison (1987).

  15. Ripple, W. J. Photogr. Engng Remote Sens. 52, 1669–1675 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Norris, K. H., Barnes, R. F., Moore, J. E. & Shenk, J. S. J. Anim. Sci. 43, 889–897 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Card, D. H., Peterson, D. L., Matson, P. A. & Aber, J. D. Remote Sens. Envir. (in the press).

  18. Ziechmann, W. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 28, 1555 (1964).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Hergert, H. L. in Lignins: Occurrence, Formation, Structure and Reactions (eds Sarkanen, K. V. & Ludwig, C. H.) 267–297 (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1971).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Fownes, J. H. thesis, Univ. Wisconsin, Madison (1985).

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Carol A. Wessman

    Present address: Center for the Study of Earth from Space, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado/NOAA, Boulder, Colorado, 80309-0449, USA

  2. John D. Aber

    Present address: Complex Systems Research Center, EOS, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, 03824, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forestry and the Environmental Remote Sensing Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

    Carol A. Wessman

  2. Department of Forestry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

    John D. Aber

  3. Ames Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Moffett Field, California, 94035, USA

    David L. Peterson

  4. Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 02543, USA

    Jerry M. Melillo

Authors
  1. Carol A. Wessman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John D. Aber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David L. Peterson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jerry M. Melillo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wessman, C., Aber, J., Peterson, D. et al. Remote sensing of canopy chemistry and nitrogen cycling in temperate forest ecosystems. Nature 335, 154–156 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/335154a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/335154a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing