Remote Sensing of Tropospheric Ozone Impacts on Bio-Indicator Species Using Imaging Spectroscopy

The Sierra Nevada Mountains of California are likely to experience changes in ecosystem dynamics in coming decades as a result of multiple anthropogenic and climatic stressors. Recent advancements in remote sensing, specifically in high spatial and spectral imagery, allow for detailed, site-specific investigations of ecosystem conditions that are scalable for a comprehensive, landscape view of forest dynamics. Further development of hyperspectral imaging techniques to map bio- indicator species distributions (Pinus ponderosa and Pinus jeffreyi) and physiological conditions (chlorophyll and water content) in Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks will help to further understand and predict changes in ecosystem dynamics under changing conditions.