OOS 33-1 - Outcomes of the community workshop on linking optical and energy fluxes: opportunities, challenges, and a path forward

Understanding the carbon, water and energy balance of ecosystems requires understanding both the timing and magnitude of fluxes and associated changes in community composition and vegetation function. Remote sensing can help scientists interpret site specific flux measurements by providing contextual information on community composition and vegetation function, as well as scale estimate fluxes globally. Additionally, flux data can inform remote sensing measurements which do not directly measure carbon and water fluxes. The utility of remote sensing for informing flux science is limited by a lack of awareness of what remote sensing data can and cannot tell us and how it can be used in conjunction with flux tower data. To improve this, there is a need for improved access, standardization, and usability of remote sensing data at flux tower sites. A community workshop held July 12-15 in Niwot Ridge Colorado aimed to address these limitations and strengthen cross-disciplinary relationships between flux and remote sensing science. The workshop was composed of a series of talks, hands-on activities, and breakout discussions that identified major opportunities and challenges linking flux and remote sensing science. In this talk, we summarize the main outcomes and lessons learned from this workshop and present a path forward for strengthening cross-disciplinary connections.