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RESPONSES OF LEAF SPECTRAL REFLECTANCE TO PLANT STRESS
Author(s) -
Carter Gregory A.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1993.tb13796.x
Subject(s) - reflectivity , stress (linguistics) , absorption (acoustics) , visible spectrum , biology , wavelength , pigment , dehydration , water stress , botany , materials science , remote sensing , optics , chemistry , optoelectronics , composite material , physics , philosophy , linguistics , organic chemistry , biochemistry , geology
Leaf spectral reflectances were measured to determine whether leaf reflectance responses to plant stress may differ according to the agent of stress and species. As a result of decreased absorption by pigments, reflectance at visible wavelengths increased consistently in stressed leaves for eight stress agents and among six vascular plant species. Visible reflectance was most sensitive to stress in the 535–640‐nm and 685–700‐nm wavelength ranges. A sensitivity minimum occurred consistently near 670 nm. Infrared reflectance was comparatively unresponsive to stress, but increased at 1,400–2,500 nm with severe leaf dehydration and the accompanying decreased absorption by water. Thus, visible rather than infrared reflectance was the most reliable indicator of plant stress. Visible reflectance responses to stress were spectrally similar among agents of stress and species.