Chemical Effects on Vegetation Detectable in Optical Bands 350-2500 nm
Abstract
This paper reports on the examination of the spectral response of individual leaves of three common Canadian plant species (poplar (Populus deltoides, Populus trichocarpa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), canola (Brassica napus)), which were subjected to fumigation with gaseous phase toxic industrial chemicals and chemicals precursor to chemical warfare agents (TICs), such as ammonia (NH3), sulphur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen sulphide (H2S), chlorine (Cl2), and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Analysis of the data using vegetation indices showed that the TICs and environmental stresses result in diagnostic light reflectance data trends from healthy mature to highly stressed leaves, with marked differences in physiological and spectral responses detected for some combinations of species and TICs. Further analysis showed that combinations of specific reflectance indices could be used to distinguish NH3, SO2, Cl2 consistently across all three species. Findings at the leaf level suggest that both environmental stress and TIC treatments can be detectable within 48hrs and should last for an extended period, probably up to a week, and thus be possibly detectable from airborne/spaceborne imagery, depending on the overpass or observation period. However the variability introduced from species to species that also enhances the TIC spectral trends would be a function of the landscape investigated and encompassed by a given data set (or geographical area) analyzed. The next step should involve a field trial.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 31, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA609246
Entities
People
- Benoit Rivard
- Derek Rogge
- Michael Deyholos
Organizations
- University of Alberta