Award Abstract # 1342872
Collaborative Research: Dimensions NASA: Linking remotely sensed optical diversity to genetic, phylogenetic and functional diversity to predict ecosystem processes

NSF Org: DEB
Division Of Environmental Biology
Recipient: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Initial Amendment Date: September 13, 2013
Latest Amendment Date: February 4, 2016
Award Number: 1342872
Award Instrument: Continuing Grant
Program Manager: Katharina Dittmar
kdittmar@nsf.gov
 (703)292-7799
DEB
 Division Of Environmental Biology
BIO
 Directorate for Biological Sciences
Start Date: May 1, 2014
End Date: April 30, 2020 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $858,411.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $886,274.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2013 = $196,416.00
FY 2014 = $670,858.00

FY 2016 = $19,000.00
History of Investigator:
  • Jeannine Cavender-Bares (Principal Investigator)
    jcavender@fas.harvard.edu
  • Sarah Hobbie (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Rebecca Montgomery (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
2221 UNIVERSITY AVE SE STE 100
MINNEAPOLIS
MN  US  55414-3074
(612)624-5599
Sponsor Congressional District: 05
Primary Place of Performance: University of Minnesota
1987 Upper Buford Circle
Saint Paul
MN  US  55108-6097
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
04
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): KABJZBBJ4B54
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): Dimensions of Biodiversity
Primary Program Source: 01001314RB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
01001415DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT

01001415RB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT

01001617DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 1228, 1355, 7968, 9169, 9178, 9251, EGCH, SMET
Program Element Code(s): 796800
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.074

ABSTRACT

This project will use three biodiversity manipulations at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve to test whether plant diversity (including genotypes within species, species with different functions, and species from different evolutionary lineages) can be detected remotely at multiple spatial scales. The study will measure biodiversity from the sky and space by remotely sensing the reflected light spectra of plants and investigate the consequences of biodiversity for ecosystem and global processes. Project scientists from four institutions will investigate linkages between plant biodiversity, soil microbe diversity and ecosystem function. These efforts will serve in the development of airborne and satellite platforms that can routinely monitor biodiversity and provide critical experimental evidence for the concept of surrogacy, i.e., that one metric of biodiversity can be used to provide information about others.

The project will transform methods for detecting changes in biodiversity worldwide and will provide numerous training opportunities in science, technology and math (STEM) for young scientists. Results will be integrated into the Cedar Creek Schoolyard Ecology program and a NASA-funded STEM Education Center to train Native American reservation teachers. Citizen scientists will be engaged through the MN Phenology Network. Data and research outcomes will be archived in publically accessible data repositories.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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(Showing: 1 - 10 of 63)
Cavender-Bares, J "Diversification, adaptation, and community assembly of the American oaks (Quercus), a model clade for integrating ecology and evolution" New Phytologist , v.221 , 2019 , p.669 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.111218
Cavender-Bares, J "Diversification, adaptation, and community assembly of the American oaks (Quercus), a model clade for integrating ecology and evolution" New Phytologist , v.221 , 2019 , p.669
Cavender-Bares, J., Ackerly, D.D., Hobbie, S.E. and Townsend, P.A. "Evolutionary legacy effects on ecosystems: Biogeographic origins, plant traits, and implications for management in the era of global change" Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics , v.47 , 2016 , p.433 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-121415-032229
Cavender-Bares, J; Ackerly, D; Hobbie, S; Townsend, P "Biogeographic origins, plant traits, and ecosystem function:implications for management in the era of global change" Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics , v.47 , 2016 , p.433 http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-121415-032229
Cavender-Bares, J. and Meireles, J. E. and Couture, J. J. and Kaproth, M. A. and Kingdon, C. C. and Singh, A. and Serbin, S. P. and Center, A. and Zuniga, E. and Pilz, G. and Townsend, P. A. "Associations of leaf spectra with genetic and phylogenetic variation in oaks: prospects for remote detection of biodiversity" Remote Sensing , v.8 , 2016
Cavender-Bares, J., D. Ackerly, S. Hobbie, and P. Townsend "Evolutionary legacy effects on ecosystems: Biogeographic origins, plant traits, and implications for management in the era of global change" Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics , v.47 , 2016 , p.433 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-121415-032229
Cavender-Bares, Jeannine and Gamon, John A. and Hobbie, Sarah E. and Madritch, Michael D. and Meireles, Jose? Eduardo and Schweiger, Anna K. and Townsend, Philip A. "Harnessing plant spectra to integrate the biodiversity sciences across biological and spatial scales" American Journal of Botany , v.104 , 2017
Cavender-Bares, J., Gamon, J.A., Hobbie, S.E., Madritch, M.D., Meireles, J.E., Schweiger, A.K. and Townsend, P.A. "Harnessing plant spectra to integrate the biodiversity sciences across biological and spatial scales" American Journal of Botany , v.104 , 2017 , p.966 https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1700061
Cavender-Bares, J., J. A. Gamon, S. E. Hobbie, M. D. Madritch, J. E. Meireles, A. K. Schweiger, and P. A. Townsend "Harnessing plant spectra to integrate the biodiversity sciences across biological and spatial scales" American Journal of Botany , v.104 , 2017 , p.1 https://doi.or/10.3732/ajb.1700061
Cavender-Bares, J., J. E. Meireles, J. J. Couture, M. A. Kaproth, C. C. Kingdon, A. Singh, S. P. Serbin, A. Center, E. Zuniga, G. Pilz, and P. A. Townsend. 2016 "Associations of leaf spectra with genetic and phylogenetic variation in oaks: prospects for remote detection of biodiversity" Remote Sensing , 2016 , p.8 https://doi.org/10.3390/rs8030221
Cavender-Bares, J., J. E. Meireles, J. J. Couture, M. Kaproth, C. C. Kingdon, A. Singh, S. P. Serbin, A. Center, E. Zuniga, G. Pilz and P. A. Townsend "Associations of leaf spectra with genetic and phylogenetic variation in oaks: prospects for remote detection of biodiversity." Remote Sensing , v.8 , 2016 , p.108364 10.3390/rs8030221.
(Showing: 1 - 10 of 63)

PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT

Disclaimer

This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.

 Intellectual Merit: The research demonstrated that plant biodiversity can be detected remotely due to strong links between spectral (optical) diversity and multiple dimensions of biodiversity. Significant relationships were found between remotely sensed spectral (optical) diversity and all measures of biodiversity, including species richness and evenness, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity.  These relationships were robust in that they held up across many methods and metrics but were scale-dependent in that they varied with sampling grain size (e.g. pixel size), spectral scale (e.g. number and width of spectral bands), plot size and season. 

The ability of plant spectral signatures to differentiate genotypes, species and phylogenetic lineages is a consequence of the tight coupling between spectroscopic (optical) signals and the tree of life. Leaf-level spectroscopic data accurately predicted plant chemistry, morphology, and function of numerous plant traits. These functional traits could subsequently be mapped from airborne imagery in multiple plant diversity experiments and using data from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). The outcomes from this research provide a foundation for an improved global biodiversity monitoring system involving remote sensing. 

Importantly, the project showed that airborne imagery could detect ecosystem biomass, identify species, and detect plant function and thus predict diversity, composition and vegetation chemistry. Remotely sensed spectroscopic data predicted productivity and net biodiversity effects (overyielding) in experimental grassland and forest systems. These results have important implications for detecting biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships at large spatial extents across the globe.

The research also tested the use of leaf and airborne spectroscopic imagery to predict below-ground processes and to detect plant disease (oak wilt).

Broader Impacts: The work was broadly disseminated through invited keynote lectures and seminars, international meetings including the World Biodiversity Forum in Davos, Switzerland, over 20 peer-reviewed papers, a 20-chapter open access book (edited by PIs Cavender-Bares, Gamon & Townsend, Springer, 2020) and an R software package.

The project trained eight students and eight postdocs (including underrepresented groups) and 10 undergraduates (primarily underrepresented groups). Results from the research have been incorporated into two upper level courses at the University of Minnesota.

A major standing exhibit at the Bell Museum of Natural History in Minnesota on spectral detection of biodiversity featured airborne imagery from the project as the wallpaper of a Biodiversity display. This exhibit has been seen by thousands of museum visitors, and our team has given numerous interactive demonstrations in this space. Our team has led public engagement efforts through MarketScience.org at local farmer's markets in Minneapolis and Saint Paul and has provided hands-on learning experiences to over one hundred eighth graders each year at Murray Middle School, a public Saint Paul school that serves many underrepresented students.


 


Last Modified: 09/29/2020
Modified by: Jeannine M Cavender-Bares

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