“Flower power”: How flowering affects spectral diversity metrics and their relationship with plant diversity

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102589
• Publication Date: 2024-04-09T08:48:30Z
• Authors: Michela Perrone; Luisa Conti; Thomas Galland; Jan Komárek; Ondřej Lagner; Michele Torresani; Christian Rossi; Carlos P. Carmona; Francesco de Bello; Duccio Rocchini; Vítězslav Moudrý; Petra Šímová; Simonetta Bagella; Marco Malavasi
• Keywords: Categorical variable; Resampling; Plant Diversity; Temporal scales; Dynamism

Biodiversity monitoring is constrained by cost- and labour-intensive field sampling methods. Increasing evidence suggests that remotely sensed spectral diversity (SD) linked to plant diversity, holding promise for applications. However, studies testing such a relationship reported conflicting findings, especially in challenging ecosystems as grasslands, due their variety high temporal dynamism. It follows thorough investigation of the key factors influencing these relationships, metrics applied (i.e., continuous, categorical) phenology (e.g., flowering), necessary. The present study aims assess effect flowering on applicability six different SD at local scale investigate how spatial resolution affects results. Taxonomic was calculated based data collected 159 plots 1.5 m × with experimental mesic grassland communities. Spectral information using UAV-borne sensor measuring reflectance across bands visible near-infrared range ~2 cm resolution. Our results showed that, presence flowering, between significant positive only when categorical metrics. Despite observed significance, variance explained models very low, no evident differences resampling coarser pixel sizes. Such findings suggest new insights into possible confounding effects ~ communities are needed use purposes.