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.