3D Mapping of the Amazon Rainforest

Watch: 3D mapping of the Amazon rainforest application. This animation from Peru's western Amazon shows the power of the Carnegie Airborne Observatory's imaging spectrometer which detects chemical and optical signals in the forest. The colors reflect characteristics ranging from water content in leaves to phenols. Canopies in blue contain high nitrogen concentrations; in purple, high nitrogen, water, and cellulose content; and in red, high chlorophyll and other photosynthetic pigments. This technology can be used to identify individual tree species from an altitude of 2000 meters.



Another video: Interview with Greg Asner of the Carnegie Institution