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Inspire Session

Session: : Remote Sensing of Plant Biodiversity, Physiological Stress and Ecosystem Function in a Rapidly Changing World

INS 16-3 - Effects of tree community composition on structural complexity in an experimental young forest

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM PDT

Location: 254

Presenting Author(s)

JG

J. Antonio Guzman Q.

Postdoctoral Associate
University of Minnesota, Minnesota, United States

Co-author(s)

MP

Maria H. Park

PhD Student
University of Minnesota, United States
JC

Jeannine M. Cavender-Bares, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Structural complexity describes how forest biomass is arranged in three-dimensional space. Currently, it is well known that successional dynamics of forests drive changes in the structural complexity. Yet we understand poorly how tree community composition drives forest structural complexity. We tested how community composition controls structural complexity of experimental forest community plots using LiDAR point clouds. Our results suggest that the fractal properties of stands described by structural complexity may be an important indicator of crown complementary, which in turn could be useful in remotely sensing the mechanisms that drive high productivity in diverse ecosystems.