Freezing induces an increase in leaf spectral transmittance of forest understorey and alpine forbs

• DOI: 10.1007/s43630-022-00189-0
• Publication Date: 2022-02-28T08:02:43Z
• Authors: Twinkle Solanki; José Ignacio Garc...; T. Matthew Robson; Beatriz Fernández...
• Keywords: Understory; Photochemical Reflectance Index; Photoprotection

Evergreen plants growing at high latitudes or elevations may experience freezing events in their photosynthetic tissues. Freezing can have physical and physiological effects on the leaves which alter leaf optical properties affecting remote proximal sensing parameters. We froze of six alpine plant species (Soldanella alpina, Ranunculus kuepferi, Luzula nutans, Gentiana acaulis, Geum montanum, Centaurea uniflora) three evergreen forest understorey (Hepatica nobilis, Fragaria vesca Oxalis acetosella), assessed spectral transmittance optically measured pigments, as well photochemical efficiency photosystem II (PSII) an indicator damage. Upon freezing, all transmitted more photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) some had increased ultraviolet-A (UV-A) transmittance. These differences were less pronounced than species, be related to higher chlorophyll degradation, visible reduced content upon latter species. Among these forbs, thin O. acetosella displayed largest reduction (-79%). This study provides insights into how changes wild could used set a baseline for upscaling reflectance data from sensing. Changes also serve indicate sufficiency tolerance events, but experimental research is required establish this functional association.