Primary productivity: Plants at work

Plants use a process called photosynthesis to convert absorbed sunlight into energy. During photosynthesis the chloroplasts in plants absorb red and blue light and reflect back green light and near-infrared light, which is why the parts of the plants containing chloroplast appear green. This near-infrared light allows us to track changes in vegetative life. Satellites are used to observe the amount of near-infrared light being reflected back and data about photosynthesis production is gathered.

Changes in the volume of plant growth of a forest ecosystem could indicate disturbances such as insect defoliation or areas of rapid growth like the regeneration after a wildfire, allowing us to determine if management actions are required Landscape level changes are monitored and the volume of annual plant growth is calculated. Satellite images of forest and grasslands in Prince Albert National Park have been gathered for several years. These images are used to create baseline data that future changes in plant growth can be compared too.