Can mycorrhizal association be detected remotely with hyperspectral measurements?

Recently, Fisher et al. (2016) found that tree-mycorrhizal associations can be detected remotely using spaceborne multi-spectral measurements of canopy spectral and phenological signals. However, hyper-spectral data have enormous potential to refine this detection, and possibly connect mycorrhizal association directly to canopy nutrient concentrations. Here, we evaluate airborne AVIRIS data flown over mycorrhizal gradients in the US to detect mycorrhizal association. As spaceborne spectroscopic instruments are imminent, and the impact of mycorrhizae on global biogeochemical cycling and CO₂ fertilization responses continue to emerge, we may soon have the ability to produce global coverage of fine scale mycorrhizal detection.