Canopy research is the field of

scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has characterized the development of science since at least the 17th century (with notable practitioners in previous centuries; see the article history of scientific m ...

based upon data collected in the

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

of trees.

Objects

* Description of plant and animal

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

residing in the tree-summits. Mainly ancient forests and

tropical forest Tropical forests (a.k.a. jungle) are forested landscapes in tropical regions: ''i.e.'' land areas approximately bounded by the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, but possibly affected by other factors such as prevailing winds. Some tropical fores ...

s are studied. * Study of forest

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

dynamics, change drivers and other factors that shape

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

systems. * Collection of

meteorological Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...

data. Meteorological studies can help researchers measure the efficacy of forest canopies in offsetting

global climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

. Researchers at the

Agricultural Research Service The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with ext ...

have

calibrated In measurement technology and metrology, calibration is the comparison of measurement values delivered by a device under test with those of a calibration standard of known accuracy. Such a standard could be another measurement device of known a ...

a model for forest canopies that measures and estimates the amount of carbon a forest canopy absorbs/releases due to

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...

respiration Respiration may refer to: Biology * Cellular respiration, the process in which nutrients are converted into useful energy in a cell ** Anaerobic respiration, cellular respiration without oxygen ** Maintenance respiration, the amount of cellul ...

. The research found that the forest canopy shifted from a carbon “sink” (of net carbon absorption due to photosynthesis) to a carbon “source” (of net carbon respiration) following the

defoliation A defoliant is any herbicidal chemical sprayed or dusted on plants to cause their leaves to fall off. Defoliants are widely used for the selective removal of weeds in managing croplands and lawns. Worldwide use of defoliants, along with the ...

of the canopy due to the

gypsy moth ''Lymantria dispar'', also known as the gypsy moth or the spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. ''Lymantria dispar'' is subdivided into several subspecies, with subspecies such as ''L. d. dispar'' and ''L. d. japonica'' bei ...

.

This research helps scientists determine the role of trees in offsetting carbon released into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming, and the biological influences that impact it.

Chief discoveries

* 90% of animal and 50% of plant species in tropical rainforests live in the upper levels of the large trees. As many as 1000 different insects have been collected from one tree. * Tropical forests require a minimum area to develop their crucial

micro climate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squa ...

and to provide

habitats In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

for larger

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

s. * While grown forests continue to store

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...

, young forests store up ten times more. Canopy research is a relatively new scientific field which was hampered for a long time by lack of means of access to the tree canopies and lack of appropriate means of housing researchers.

Climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done fo ...

gear,

tree house A tree house, tree fort or treeshed is a platform or building constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level. Tree houses can be used for recreation, work space, habitation, a han ...

canopy walkway Canopy walkways - also called canopy walks, treetop walks or treetop walkways - provide pedestrian access to a forest Canopy (biology), canopy. Early walkways consisted of bridges between trees in the canopy of a forest; mostly linked up with pl ...

s, cranes,

airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

s and inflatable platforms resting on the treetops have lately overcome these barriers. * Cranes have proven to offer the best three-dimensional access. The effort to set them up is worthwhile, as most research projects are long term. * Airships (or dirigibles, or blimps) offer the best means of accessing large areas of canopy. *

Tree house A tree house, tree fort or treeshed is a platform or building constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level. Tree houses can be used for recreation, work space, habitation, a han ...

s are best for housing because they offer dry, light and secure accommodation without cutting down an area of forest.

External links

Global Canopy ProgrammeCanopy Database ProjectCanopy Research

Earthwatch Institute
page.
Dendronautics
Prof Stephen Sillett, photogallery with "brief description of... techniques and illustrations of their applications..." * Everhart, S.E. 2010. Upper canopy collection and identification of grapevines (Vitis) from selected forests in the southeastern United States. Castanea 75: 141-149
PDF
* Everhart, S.E., J.S. Ely, and H.W. Keller. 2009. Evaluation of tree canopy epiphytes and bark characteristics associated with corticolous myxomycetes. Botany 87: 509-517
PDF
* Everhart, S.E., and H.W. Keller. 2008. Influence of bark pH on the occurrence and distribution of tree canopy myxomycete species. Mycologia 100: 191-204
PDF
* Keller, H.W., S.E. Everhart, M. Skrabal, and C.M. Kilgore. 2009. Tree canopy biodiversity in temperate forests: Exploring islands in the sky. Southeastern Biology 56: 52-74
PDF
* Kilgore, C.M., H.W. Keller, S.E. Everhart, A. Scarborough, K. Snell, M. Skrabal, C. Pottorff, and J.S. Ely. 2008. Tree canopy research and student experiences using the double rope climbing method. Journal of Botanical Research Institute of Texas 2: 1309-1336
PDF
{{Forestry Forest ecology Botany

Objects

Chief discoveries

See also

External links