Articles
Mycorrhizal fungi Associations in Various Forest Types and Climate Change
Key Takeaways Global change, such as higher carbon dioxide, warming, pests, and diseases, has common effects on mycorrhizal community composition and abundance. The effects of drought, forest fires, and nitrogen deposition on the mycorrhizal community differ among forest types. As the temperature rises, the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is increasing, and ectomycorrhizal fungi are… Continue reading…
Additional reading
8 Reasons Root Imaging Tech is Gaining Importance in Plant Science
Root imaging technology is quickly becoming a central tool in plant science. For decades, researchers focused heavily on aboveground measurements such as leaf area, canopy structure, gas exchange, and spectral reflectance. Those metrics still matter. But more scientists now recognize that understanding what happens belowground is just as critical. Roots drive nutrient uptake, water acquisition,… Continue reading…
7 Funding Agencies That Require Leaf Area or LAI Data in Proposals
Leaf area index data shows up in more grant calls than many researchers expect. Whether you are studying crop productivity, forest carbon dynamics, ecosystem resilience, or climate adaptation, reviewers often want quantitative canopy metrics. Leaf area index data connects plant structure to function. It links canopy architecture to light interception, water use, carbon exchange, and… Continue reading…
7 Spectral Leaf Metrics You Should Know (and their instrument requirements)
Understanding spectral leaf metrics is now central to plant phenotyping, crop management, and stress physiology. As spectral leaf metrics become more integrated into field workflows, researchers need tools that move beyond theory and deliver reliable measurements under real conditions. Whether you are tracking nutrient status, quantifying canopy structure, or linking pigment shifts to gas exchange,… Continue reading…
5 Software Tools Compatible with Canopy Image Analysis
Canopy image analysis software plays a central role in turning field images into usable, quantitative data. Whether you are calculating leaf area index, measuring gap fraction, or modeling light interception, the quality of your analysis depends on both the instrument and the software you choose. For researchers using the CI-110 Plant Canopy Imager, selecting the… Continue reading…
3 Metrics That Matter More Than Leaf Area Index
Leaf Area Index has long been a standard metric in canopy research, but LAI alone rarely tells the full story. If you rely only on Leaf Area Index to interpret plant performance, you are likely missing critical context about function, stress, and productivity. Leaf Area Index is useful, but it is structural. It describes how… Continue reading…
5 Signs Your Instrument Is Giving Bad Data (and how to fix it)
Bad data in plant research can quietly derail months of work. You can follow a solid protocol, control treatments carefully, and still end up with results that do not make sense. When that happens, the issue is often not your experimental design. It is the instrument. Whether you are measuring gas exchange, leaf area, canopy… Continue reading…
