Detecting the response of plant functional traits to nutrient status in grassland by spectral reflectance measurements
- Project PI
PD. Dr. Jürgen Schellberg
-
Project aim
The challenge of present grassland research is to better understand the
impact of environmental conditions and management on sward properties
and productivity and, at the same time, to consider the impact of
production on the ecosystem. Hence, knowledge is required to understand
how managed grassland communities respond to manipulation by humans and
animals and how this response can be detected non-destructively.
In
mixed grassland swards, the response of plants to manipulation can be
interpreted by a new approach that is based on the expression of
functional traits, often irrespective of floristic composition. It is
known that traits affect spectral properties as measured above the
canopy. The objective of the project is to learn how spectral
reflectance signatures must be interpreted to identify functional traits
of grassland communities along a gradient of soil nutrient content.
Throughout
two years, optical properties of canopy in the Rengen Grassland
Experiment (since 1941) will be measured with a crane mounted high
resolution spectrometer. Sophisticated spectral analyses will be applied
to derive functional relations between spectral response and plant
traits as affected by soil nutrient status. In the second and third
year, the derived mathematical model describing the relationship between
community functional traits and spectral reflectance will be validated
on grassland fields elsewhere in Germany.
-
Run time
2012 - 2014
-
Study areas
Rengen Grassland Experiment
-
Staff
PD Dr. Jürgen Schellberg
Marian Vittek (former staff)
-
Funding agency
DFG
- Further information
