Greg Asner: Ecology from the air

What are our forests really made of? From the air, ecologist Greg Asner uses a spectrometer and high-powered lasers to map nature in meticulous kaleidoscopic 3D detail -- what he calls "a very high-tech accounting system" of carbon. In this fascinating talk, Asner gives a clear message: To save our ecosystems, we need more data, gathered in new ways.

CAO Systems

AToMS

Carnegie's newest operational platform called AToMS (Airborne Taxonomic Mapping System) launched on June 2, 2011. AToMS integrates the world's first Very High Fidelity Visible-Shortwave Infrared (VSWIR) Imaging Spectrometer measuring the 380-2510 nm wavelength range at 5 nm spectral resolution with a dual-laser, waveform Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) system, and high-resolution Visible-to-Near Infrared (VNIR) imaging spectrometer.

Download the specifications (PDF) on AToMS.

AToMS provides the world's most advanced measurements of ecosystem chemistry, structure, biomass, and biodiversity, with applications ranging from climate change mitigation to sustainable forest management and habitat conservation. The scientific foundation for biodiversity applications of AToMS in tropical forests can be found atCarnegie Spectranomics.

ORIGINAL: TED