Environmental controls on forest chemistry: evaluating and refining foliar chemistry from imaging spectroscopy

The potential for forest species and health inventory has been demonstrated through advanced imaging spectroscopy. Variation in foliar chemistry provides the means through which vegetation health classification is possible. We have developed and implemented a method for retrieving high resolution forest chemistry maps. Through the analysis of these forest chemistry products general controls over forest health were determined. Topography significantly effects forest chemistry through slope and aspect. Elevation effects on chemistry were not significant at our study site, likely a reflection of the relatively low relief of the area (~450m). The following study reports on the topographic control of foliar chemistry and a validation protocol based on empirically established modeling approaches to the estimation of foliar pigmentation from reflectance responses.