Evaluating Leaf and Canopy Reflectance of Stressed Rice Plants to Monitor Arsenic Contamination

Arsenic contamination is a serious problem in rice cultivated soils of many developing countries. Hence, it is critical to monitor and control arsenic uptake in rice plants to avoid adverse effects on human health. This study evaluated the feasibility of using reflectance spectroscopy to monitor arsenic in rice plants. Four arsenic levels were induced in hydroponically grown rice plants with application of 0, 5, 10 and 20 µmol·L⁻¹ sodium arsenate. Reflectance spectra of upper fully expanded leaves were acquired over visible and infrared (NIR) wavelengths. Additionally, canopy reflectance for the four arsenic levels was simulated using SAIL (Scattering by Arbitrarily Inclined Leaves) model for various soil moisture conditions and leaf area indices (LAI). Further, sensitivity of various vegetative indices (VIs) to arsenic levels was assessed. Results suggest that plants accumulate high arsenic amounts causing plant stress and changes in reflectance characteristics. All leaf spectra based VIs related strongly with arsenic with coefficient of determination (r²) greater than 0.6 while at canopy scale, background reflectance and LAI confounded with spectral signals of arsenic affecting the VIs’ performance. Among studied VIs, combined index, transformed chlorophyll absorption reflectance index (TCARI)/optimized soil adjusted vegetation index (OSAVI) exhibited higher sensitivity to arsenic levels and better resistance to soil backgrounds and LAI followed by red edge based VIs (modified chlorophyll absorption reflectance index (MCARI) and TCARI) suggesting that these VIs could prove to be valuable aids for monitoring arsenic in rice fields.Keywords: leaf chlorophyll, red edge, LAI, vegetative indices, rice, soil reflectance, SAIL model, arsenic uptake, plant stress, spectral reflectanc

Enviromentální aplikace obrazové spektroskopie

The main purpose of this thesis is to use Image Spectroscopy as a tool to monitor the environmental conditions in a region affected by anthropogenic activities via estimating both geochemical and biochemical parameters on a regional scale. The research has been carried on the Sokolov lignite mine, NW Bohemia, a region affected by long-term extensive mining. The thesis is divided into two thematic parts. First part is devoted to applications of Image Spectroscopy into Acid Mine Drainage mapping and its related issues (chapters 2 and 3). In chapter 2 the equivalent mineral end-members were successfully derived from the ASTER image data (Advanced Space-borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer satellite data). In the chapter 3 the pH was estimated on the basis of mineral and image spectroscopy. The Multi Range Spectral Feature Fitting (MRSFF) technique was utilized for mineral mapping and the multiple regression model using the fit images, the results of MRSFF, as inputs was constructed to estimate the surface pH and statistical significant accuracy was attained. In the second thematic part (chapters 4-6) Image Spectroscopy is applied into monitoring of vegetation stress. A new statistical method was developed to assess the physiological status of macroscopically undamaged foliage of Norway...Předložená disertační práce se věnuje aplikaci metod obrazové spektroskopie jako moderního nástroje pro environmentální monitoring, přičemž se zaměřuje na modelování vybraných geochemických a biochemických parametrů Disertační práce je členěna do dvou tematických celků. První z nich (kapitoly 2 a 3) je věnován aplikaci minerální a obrazové spektroskopie pro vymezení plošného výskytu povrchové acidifikace (anglický termín: AMD - Acid Mine Drainage) a modelování povrchového pH. Druhá tematická část (kapitoly 4, 5 a 6) se věnuje zhodnocení fyziologického stavu smrkových porostů. V kapitole 2 jsou s využitím satelitních dat ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer satellite data) plošně vymezeny kyselé zvětralinové povrchy (pH<4), jež charakterizuje výskyt jarositu a lignitu (hnědé uhlí). Kapitola 3 se věnuje vytvoření modelu pro odhad povrchového pH odkrytých substrátů s využitím leteckých hyperspektrálních dat HyMap (07/2009). Tato studie je jednou z prvních, jež aplikuje metody obrazové spektroskopie pro kvantitativní modelování pH v prostředí povrchových dolů vyznačující se vysokou heterogenitou. V druhé tematické části je obrazová spektroskopie aplikována do oblasti monitoringu zdravotního stavu lesních smrkových porostů, které se vyskytují v bezprostředním okolí...Department of Applied Geoinformatics and CartographyKatedra aplikované geoinformatiky a kartografieFaculty of SciencePřírodovědecká fakult

Hyperspectral and Thermal Remote Sensing of Plant Stress Reponses to Oil Pollution.

This study investigates the potential use of hyperspectral and thermal remote sensing for the early pre-visual detection and quantification of plant stress caused by oil pollution. Further, it examines the potential for these techniques to discriminate between oil pollution and two typically encountered plant stresses of waterlogging and water deficit. Results show that oil pollution, waterlogging and water deficit significantly decreased the physiological functions of plants and can result in pre-visual changes in spectral and thermal responses. Various spectral indices such as (R755-R716)/(R755+R716) and R800/R6O6 were efficient for the early detection of oil-induced stress in maize (up to 10 days earlier) and bean (up to 4 days earlier), respectively. These indices and other simple ratios of reflectance such as R673/R545 were also sensitive in the early detection (up to 6 days earlier) of stress symptoms caused by waterlogging in bean. The canopy absolute temperature and thermal index (IG) were good indicators of oil related stress in bean, but were insensitive to waterlogging. Absolute leaf temperature had minimal potential for detecting oil pollution in maize. While the spectral indices lacked ability for the early detection of stress caused by water deficit at the leaf scale in both maize and bean, absolute temperature was effective in this regard irrespective of scale of measurement. Results show that by combining spectral and thermal information, oil pollution can be discriminated from waterlogging or water deficit treatment. This study concludes that hyperspectral and thermal remote sensing have the potential to detect and quantify plant stress caused by oil pollution and it is possible to discriminate between this and other common stresses. However, further work is needed to refine and operationalise the approach, and the problems and challenges associated with this are presented and discussed

Summaries of the Sixth Annual JPL Airborne Earth Science Workshop

This publication contains the summaries for the Sixth Annual JPL Airborne Earth Science Workshop, held in Pasadena, California, on March 4-8, 1996. The main workshop is divided into two smaller workshops as follows: (1) The Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) workshop, on March 4-6. The summaries for this workshop appear in Volume 1; (2) The Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) workshop, on March 6-8. The summaries for this workshop appear in Volume 2

Assessment of maize crop health and water stress based on multispectral and thermal infrared unmanned aerial vehicle phenotyping in smallholder farms.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Abstract available in PDF.No submissions form available

Remote Sensing of Biophysical Parameters

Vegetation plays an essential role in the study of the environment through plant respiration and photosynthesis. Therefore, the assessment of the current vegetation status is critical to modeling terrestrial ecosystems and energy cycles. Canopy structure (LAI, fCover, plant height, biomass, leaf angle distribution) and biochemical parameters (leaf pigmentation and water content) have been employed to assess vegetation status and its dynamics at scales ranging from kilometric to decametric spatial resolutions thanks to methods based on remote sensing (RS) data.Optical RS retrieval methods are based on the radiative transfer processes of sunlight in vegetation, determining the amount of radiation that is measured by passive sensors in the visible and infrared channels. The increased availability of active RS (radar and LiDAR) data has fostered their use in many applications for the analysis of land surface properties and processes, thanks to their insensitivity to weather conditions and the ability to exploit rich structural and texture information. Optical and radar data fusion and multi-sensor integration approaches are pressing topics, which could fully exploit the information conveyed by both the optical and microwave parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.This Special Issue reprint reviews the state of the art in biophysical parameters retrieval and its usage in a wide variety of applications (e.g., ecology, carbon cycle, agriculture, forestry and food security)

Irrigation Systems and Practices in Challenging Environments

The book Irrigation Systems and Practices in Challenging Environments is divided into two interesting sections, with the first section titled Agricultural Water Productivity in Stressed Environments, which consists of nine chapters technically crafted by experts in their own right in their fields of expertise. Topics range from effects of irrigation on the physiology of plants, deficit irrigation practices and the genetic manipulation, to creating drought tolerant variety and a host of interesting topics to cater for the those interested in the plant water soil atmosphere relationships and agronomic practices relevant in many challenging environments, more so with the onslaught of global warming, climate change and the accompanying agro-meteorological impacts. The second section, with eight chapters, deals with systems of irrigation practices around the world, covering different climate zones apart from showing casing practices for sustainable irrigation practices and more efficient ways of conveying irrigation waters - the life blood of agriculture, undoubtedly the most important sector in the world

Remote sensing in shallow lake ecology

Shallow lakes are an important ecological and socio-economic resource. However, the impact of human pressures, both at the lake and catchment scale, has precipitated a decline in the ecological status of many shallow lakes, both in the UK, and throughout Europe. There is now, as direct consequence, unprecedented interest in the assessment and monitoring of ecological status and trajectory in shallow lakes, not least in response to the European Union Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC). In this context, the spatially-resolving and panoramic data provided by remote sensing platforms may be of immense value in the construction of effective and efficient strategies for the assessment and monitoring of ecological status in shallow lakes and, moreover, in providing new, spatially-explicit, insights into the function of these ecosystems and how they respond to change. This thesis examined the use of remote sensing data for the assessment of (i) phytoplankton abundance and species composition and (ii) aquatic vegetation distribution and ecophysiological status in shallow lakes with a view to establishing the credence of such an approach and its value in limnological research and monitoring activities. High resolution in-situ and airborne remote sensing data was collected during a 2-year sampling campaign in the shallow lakes of the Norfolk Broads. It was demonstrated that semi-empirical algorithms could be formulated and used to provide accurate and robust estimations of the concentration of chlorophyll-a, even in these optically-complex waters. It was further shown that it was possible to differentiate and quantify the abundance of cyanobacteria using the biomarker pigment C-phycocyanin. The subsequent calibration of the imagery obtained from the airborne reconnaissance missions permitted the construction of diurnal and seasonal regional-scale time-series of phytoplankton dynamics in the Norfolk Broads. This approach was able to deliver unique spatial insights into the migratory behaviour of a potentially-toxic cyanobacterial bloom. It was further shown that remote sensing can be used to map the distribution of aquatic plants in shallow lakes, importantly including the extent of submerged vegetation, which is central to the assessment of ecological status. This research theme was subsequently extended in an exploration of the use of remote sensing for assessing the ecophysiological response of wetland plants to nutrient enrichment. It was shown that remote sensing metrics could be constructed for the quantification of plant vigour. The extrapolation of these techniques enabled spatial heterogeneity in the ecophysiological response of Phragmites australis to lake nutrient enrichment to be characterised and assisted the formulation of a mechanistic explanation for the variation in reedswamp performance in these shallow lakes. It is therefore argued that the spatially synoptic data provided by remote sensing has much to offer the assessment, monitoring and policing of ecological status in shallow lakes and, in particular, for facilitating the development of pan-European scale lake surveillance capabilities for the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC). It is also suggested that remote sensing can make a valuable contribution to furthering ecological understanding and, most significantly, in enabling ecosystem processes and functions to be examined at the lake-scale