Plain Language Summary

Remote sensing has a long history of characterizing the distribution and dynamics of vegetation in a wide variety of biomes, including the Arctic tundra which is experiencing warming more rapidly than the global average. Imaging spectroscopy (IS) - a rapidly advancing field of remote sensing that measures reflected light in narrow, contiguous “colors” from satellites, aircraft, or towers - has demonstrated great promise to “watch” how key land surface properties vary across space and over time. Because they are vast, remote, and have relatively little infrastructure, currently available IS data from the Arctic tundra are sporadic and intermittent. Hence, it has been challenging to study and characterize these ecosystems across broad spatial scales and through time. Furthermore, the climate and ecology of these ecosystems pose unique challenges for employing and interpreting IS data. Inspired by a forthcoming NASA satellite-based IS mission, we present an overview of the current opportunities and challenges for the use of spectroscopy to study Arctic tundra, informed by novel measurements across a range of spatial and temporal scales. We share recommendations for how researchers could leverage IS to resolve pressing ecological questions and advance the design and sampling scheme of future instruments and campaigns.