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Canopy Mapping in Action
Research Highlight
Spectranomics: Chemical and spectral fingerprinting of plant species
Tropical forests are vast, mostly unexplored places. The trees, vines and other plants that occupy tropical forest canopies are often remote and inaccessible. As a result, it is not easy to assess how the diversity and functioning of tropical forests may be changing with human use and climate change.
The Carnegie Institution and its collaborators are developing new scientific approaches that integrate taxonomic, chemical and spectral remote sensing perspectives - collectively called Spectranomics - to map canopy function and diversity among tropical forest species throughout the world. This website provides information on the field and laboratory program, along with data, protocols, publications, and other information on the project.
The Spectranomics Project is made possible by the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.