# Presentation: 121018

## NASA Terrestrial Ecology Science Team Meeting

***Breakout Session***
**Function, including vegetation physiology and biogeochemistry**
**10:30am – 12:00**
**1:00pm – 3:00pm**
**Co-Chairs:    Steve Prince and Xiangming Xiao**
**May 1, 2008**

## Discussion topics for Terrestrial Ecology

-  Decadal survey missions
-  Long-term data records
-  Field campaigns

## What are the most important and compelling research questions / science issues in this thematic area for NASA’s Terrestrial Ecology Program to address next?  (and Why?)

**2. What are the key remote sensing data records (time series products, CDRs, ESDR’s) required to address these research questions / science issues?  (and Why / How will they be used?)?**
**3. What new measurements (from Decadal Survey missions and other satellite missions) will be used to address these research questions / science issues? (and Why / How will they be used?)**
**4. What else will be needed (e.g., supporting research and technology investments, field studies, model development, cal/val) to achieve the NASA scientific objectives for this theme?**
**5. What is needed to support this theme from other themes in the NASA Terrestrial Ecology Program – and how should it be done?**

**Questions to be discussed**

## Question #1

**What are the most important and compelling research questions / science issues in this thematic area for NASA’s Terrestrial Ecology Program to address next?  (and Why?)**
- -- Diurnal canopy processes temporal dynamics of leaf and vegetation (higher resolution phenology)
- -- Model canopy vertical profiles of physiological and environmental variables (radiation, CO2) from structure: beyond biomass
- -- Develop indicators of canopy function including stress: e.g. photochemical aspects of productivity from chlorophyll concentration & accessory pigments; senescence from break-down products, PRI from xanthophyll emission .
- -- Undertake large area experimental manipulation, at a scale satellite data can measure: the move from observation to experimentation!

## Question #2

**What are the key remote sensing data records (time series products, CDRs, ESDR’s) required to address these research questions / science issues?  (and Why / How will they be used?)?**
- -- Multiple daily measurements of vegetation (immanent loss of twice daily MODIS), e.g. add TE application to GEO-CAPE
- -- GEO-CAPE multiple spectral observations  daily, (plus field measurements – e.g. augment flux tower spectral data
- -- Soil moisture from SMP
- -- Operational data processing, long-term continuity, archiving
- -- Add physiology to structure – e.g. HyspIRI overlap with  DesDynI
- 	-- Investigate SAR data for leaf water, LAI
- -- Process  MODIS ocean bands for land (prepares for HyspIRI)
- -- TE involvement with environmental data – precipitation, surface temperature, incident PAR
- -- Airborne measurements (field campaign) to prototype  new variables, e.g. gaseous profiles from canopy structure, high spectral resolution for pigments

## --Thermal data, an input to operational programs - only HyspIRI  planned

**What new measurements (from Decadal Survey missions and other satellite missions) will be used to address these research questions / science issues? (and Why / How will they be used?)**

## -- Field measurements, maximize investment in flux towers by adding simple downward and upward radiometers – link to flux tower sites; flux group needs to recast their questions and study; NASA role in scaling-up from flux towers. 

**What else will be needed (e.g., supporting research and technology investments, field studies, model development, cal/val) to achieve the NASA scientific objectives for this theme?**
- -- Field measurements, maximize investment in flux towers by adding simple downward and upward radiometers – link to flux tower sites; flux group needs to recast their questions and study; NASA role in scaling-up from flux towers.
- -- Long-term commitment for field measurement-
- 	e.g. the CarbonEurope program, NEON coordination
- -- Plan manipulative experiments (human disturbance on carbon, water) e.g., FACE, boreal forest heating, fertilization experiment
- -- Standard parameters/products for models from leaf to canopy e.g. FluPROSPECT
- -- Develop a generation of model that links physiology and spectral measurement.
- -- Continuity
- -- International collaboration,

## --Cross-disciplinary

**What is needed to support this theme from other themes in the NASA Terrestrial Ecology Program – and how should it be done?**
- 	 structure
- 	soil moisture
- 	disturbance
- 	atmospheric correction
- - Climate
- 	Coordination with climate community measurements,
- 			e.g. GPM precipitation mission
- 	Contribute surface variables to climate models, e.g. functional 		types
- - Interaction with measurement of trace gases, CO, N2O
- - Since OCO provide higher resolution (1o x 1o), contribute surface processes to transport model
- - Foliage quality (water, nutrient) related to insect, fire,  ecosystem service

## Leaf and canopy chemistry		measurement		model

- Nitrogen
- Chlorophyll
- Other pigments
- Water content
-  leaf dry material (leaf specific weight)
_**Leaf life cycle**__**	**__**	**__**	**__**	**__**measurement**__**	**__**	**__**model**_
- Phenology (green-up, senescence)
- Leaf age and aging
_**Canopy structure**__**	**__**	**__**	**__**measurement**__**	**__**	**__**model **_
- Leaf area index
- Canopy vertical and horizontal profiles (height, density)
- BRDF

## Light absorption 			measurement		model

- FPARcanopy
- FPARchlorophyll
- Light use efficiency
- Fluorescence
_**Canopy thermal property**__**	**__**	**__**measurement**__**	**__**	**__**model **_
- Canopy skin temperature
- land surface temperature

## Environmental variables 		measurement		model

- incident PAR
- precipitation
- snow
- CO2
- soil moisture
- Inundation (hydro-period)
- Irrigation
- Thaw/freeze
- Surface air temperature
- Drought

## Physiology 				measurement		model

- CO2 flux (Photosynthesis, GPP)
- CO2 flux (Ecosystem respiration)
- H2O flux (transpiration, and evaporation)
- Water use efficiency

## Plant species & functional types	measurement		model

- Plant species
- Functional types
_**Disturbance**__**	**__**	**__**	**__**	**__**measurement**__**	**__**	**__**model**_
- Fire
- Insect
_**Land use**__**	**__**	**__**	**__**	**__**measurement**__**	**__**	**__**model**_
- Land cover change
- Land use intensification

## Earth System Data Records (or Climate Data Record) Issues

- Data continuity
- Top priority measurements for legacy archives
- Operational pre-processing
- Long-term archiving

## Future field campaigns

- Land – coastal zone

## NASA Terrestrial Ecology Science Team Meeting 

**Breakout Sessions Purpose Statement & Core Questions**
**OVERVIEW**
** **
**Missions**
- Two types of Mission:
- i. Vegetation observations used for:
- Vegetation description, 2- and 3-D mapping, vegetation types, pattern, functional types
- Measurement of the outcomes of function (and also inputs thru feedbacks)
- ii..Environmental observations for:
- Understanding controls of functions
- To drive models

## NASA Terrestrial Ecology Science Team Meeting 

**Breakout Sessions Purpose Statement & Core Questions**
**OVERVIEW**
** **
**Data pre-processing, data systems, archives**
**Data records (ESDC and CDRs); identify **
** **
- Desirable levels of pre-processing for major satellite data sources
- Continuity, georeferencing, cross calibration, atmospheric effects, geometric effects
- Accessibility
- Data downloading
- On-demand processing at source
- Duration of archives, how to curate and manage
** **

## NASA Terrestrial Ecology Science Team Meeting 

**Breakout Sessions Purpose Statement & Core Questions**
**OVERVIEW**
** **
** **
**Research programs and  content**
- NRC Decadal survey
- Disruption of Carbon, water, and N cycles
- Changing land and marine resources use
- Changes in disturbance cycles
- NASA programs – current
- NASA programs – future

## NASA Terrestrial Ecology Science Team Meeting 

**Breakout Sessions Purpose Statement & Core Questions**
**OVERVIEW**
** ****Miscellaneous:**
** **
- New TE web site   Content ideas?
- Stronger sense of community
- Engage TE researchers in some problem solving and priority setting for the program
- Exchange research results
- Organizing committee

## Missions : Vegetation observations

**Certain:**
**A-Train Satellites**
**GLORY **
**AURA**
**PARASOL**
**CloudSat**
**Aqua**
**OCO**
**ENVISAT**
**NPP**

## NRC

**NRC**
**list**

## NRC recommendations:

**1. ASCENDS  (ACTIVE SENSING OF CO2 EMISSIONS OVER NIGHTS, DAYS, AND SEASONS)**
- Launch: 2013-2016
- Laser CO2 and O2
- Quantify global spatial distribution of atmospheric CO2 on scales of weather models, 2010-20
- Quantify current total global distribution of terrestrial and oceanic sources and sinks of CO2 on 1-degree grids at weekly resolution
- Provide a scientific basis for future predictions of CO2 sources and sinks through data-driven enhancements of Earth-system process modeling

## 2. HyspIRI (HYPERSPECTRAL INFRARED IMAGER)

- Launch: 2013-2016Developed from Hyperion on EO-1 and ASTER on Terra
- Optical hyperspectral imaging 400-2500nm in 210 10nm bands
- Multispectral IR 8000-12000nm in 5 bands
- 19 days repeat
- 60m resolution
- Pointing capability (gives 3 day repeat)
- Application envisaged
- Early signs of ecosystem change  through altered physiology, including agricultural systems
- Canopy water content
- Vegetation stress
- Nutrient content
- Primary production
- Soil degradation
- Ecosystem type , functional groups, diagnostic species
- Species types, invasives, fractional cover
- Fire fuel load and moisture content
- Fire and insect damage
- GEO-CAPE
- 	TE needs to add our voice and

## BIOMASS (ESA)

- Planned launch 2015
- Spaceborne P-band synthetic aperture polarimetric radar operating at 435 MHz and a 6 MHz bandwidth.
- Global measurements of forest biomass to assess terrestrial carbon stocks and fluxes.
- Expected sensitivity of up to 100-150 Mg/Ha
- Mission details:
- •Duration: 5 years
- •Orbit: Sun-synchronous, local time ~06:00
- •Coverage: global, vegetated areas
- •Revisit time: 25 days
- •Polarisation: full polarimetry and/or circular/dual polarisation
- •Data acquisition: single-pass/repeat-pass polarimetric interferometry
- •Resolution: _50 x 50 m (4 looks)
- •Swath width: 100 km
**FLEX (ESA)**
- Planned launch 2013-2015

## Missions : ii. Environmental observations 

**Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM)**
- ASA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
- 2013
- The _[GPM Microwave Imager (GMI)](http://gpm.gsfc.nasa.gov/gmi.html)_ measurements and the scene obtained from the
- _[		Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR)](http://gpm.gsfc.nasa.gov/dpr.html)_
- 0.01 inch per hour to as large as 4 inches an hour.
- 3-hour average revisit time
- In addition to the Core, a constellation of up to eight satellites will comprise the      	GPM sensor web.
**PATH ( Precipitation and all-weather temperature and humidity** )
- 2016-2020
**SMAP **
- Soil moisture
- 	Soil Moisture Active-Passive Mission (SMAP)
- 	2010-2013
- 	2-10m resolution, 2-3 day revisit
**LISP **
- Topography
- Laser
- 5-m postings, decimeter vertical accuracy

## GEO-CAPE 

- 	TE needs to add our voice and input into the system
- 300-m, 1-nm,
- North America coverage, (central and north)
- Potential work in coastal zone