title: Airborne laser-guided imaging spectroscopy to map forest trait diversity and guide conservation.
abstract: Functional biogeography may bridge a gap between field-based biodiversity information and satellite-based Earth system studies, thereby supporting conservation plans to protect more species and their contributions to ecosystem functioning. We used airborne laser-guided imaging spectroscopy with environmental modeling to derive large-scale, multivariate forest canopy functional trait maps of the Peruvian Andes-to-Amazon biodiversity hotspot. Seven mapped canopy traits revealed functional variation in a geospatial pattern explained by geology, topography, hydrology, and climate. Clustering of canopy traits yielded a map of forest beta functional diversity for land-use analysis. Up to 53% of each mapped, functionally distinct forest presents an opportunity for new conservation action. Mapping functional diversity advances our understanding of the biosphere to conserve more biodiversity in the face of land use and climate change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. gpa@carnegiescience.edu.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Asner
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Knapp
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tupayachi
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sinca
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Vaughn
authors.affiliation: Dirección General de Ordenamiento Territorial, Ministerio del Ambiente, San Isidro, Lima, Perú.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Llactayo
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D002980:Climate; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D065928:Forests; D005844:Geology; D062070:Hydrology; D007834:Lasers; D010568:Peru; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods