Can mycorrhizal association be detected remotely with hyperspectral
measurements?
Abstract
Recently, Fisher et al. (2016) found that tree-mycorrhizal associations
can be detected remotely using spaceborne multi-spectral measurements of
canopy spectral and phenological signals. However, hyper-spectral data
have enormous potential to refine this detection, and possibly connect
mycorrhizal association directly to canopy nutrient concentrations.
Here, we evaluate airborne AVIRIS data flown over mycorrhizal gradients
in the US to detect mycorrhizal association. As spaceborne spectroscopic
instruments are imminent, and the impact of mycorrhizae on global
biogeochemical cycling and CO2 fertilization responses continue to
emerge, we may soon have the ability to produce global coverage of fine
scale mycorrhizal detection.