Canopy gaps and the processes that generate them play an integral role in shaping the structure and dynamics of forests. However, it is only with recent advances in remote sensing technologies such as airborne laser scanning that studying canopy gaps at scale has become a reality. Consequently, we still lack an understanding of how the size distribution and spatial organization of canopy gaps varies among forests ecosystems, nor have we determined whether these emergent properties can be reconciled with existing theories of forest dynamics. Here, I outline a roadmap for integrating remote sensing with field data and individual-based models to build a comprehensive picture of how environmental constraints and disturbance regimes shape the three-dimensional structure of the world’s forests.

Speaker details: Tommaso Jucker, NERC Research Fellow and Lecturer, University of Bristol, is the 2020 New Phytologist Tansley Medal winner

Unable to attend? This event will be recorded and available on demand following the event at the New Phytologist Now Cassyni page.