Trialling hyperspectral detection of ozone stress in broadleaf UK forests, fieldwork 2023

Anna Lee-Jones

During the summer of 2023, I reached new heights with leaf spectroscopy while expanding our understanding of ozone pollution’s impact on forests. Ozone, renowned for its role in the stratospheric 'ozone layer' shielding us from UV radiation, also manifests as a damaging pollutant at ground level within the troposphere. Here, its formation from nitrous oxides and volatile organic compounds through a sunlight-driven reaction poses a serious threat to plant life, including crucial crops and forests.

Building upon my 2022 ozone manipulation experiment, I was testing whether we can use hyperspectral leaf reflectance to detect ozone damage in broadleaf forests. This field season was all about exploring whether the signals we found in saplings exposed to controlled ozone concentrations could be detected in mature trees in natural environments with varying ozone pollution levels. My study sites were Wytham Woods, the BIFoR FACE forest and Alice Holt Forest. Once again, the NERC Field Spectroscopy Facility generously provided equipment loans to support this research.

Over the course of the summer, I conducted thousands of spectral measurements of the forest canopy at regular intervals, employing canopy walkways, scaffolding towers, and climbing harnesses to reach the necessary vantage points. Hopefully, this wealth of hyperspectral data will prove worthy of conquering my fear of heights for.

More information on the research project here.