Title of Submission
Remotely-Sensing Chemical Diversity and Function of Native Plants Across Sagebrush-Steppe Landscapes
Degree Program
Biology, MS
Major Advisor Name
Jennifer Forbey
Type of Submission
Scholarly Poster
Abstract
Plant chemical diversity provides ecosystem services by supporting wildlife diversity and offering sources for novel medicines. Current mapping of phytochemicals can be expensive, time-intensive and provides only a snapshot of available diversity. To overcome this, I will use handheld and airborne instruments collecting near infrared spectra and hyperspectral imagery to remotely sense chemical diversity within plants and ecosystems. I hypothesize that greater plant chemical diversity will be correlated with greater habitat use by wildlife and greater bioactivity of plant extracts. This research provides a powerful tool to map chemical diversity, target wildlife conservation and direct the discovery of novel medicines.
Funding Information
NSF DEB-1146194; NSF IOS-1258217; NSF EPSCoR IIA-1301792, BLM #L09AC16253; NIH IDeA #P20GM103408