Carnegie scientists have found that the plant species making
up an ecosystem are better predictors of ecosystem chemistry than environmental
conditions such as terrain, geology, or altitude. This is the first study using
a new, high-resolution airborne, chemical-detecting instrument to map multiple
ecosystem chemicals. The result, published in the April 8, 2013, Early Edition
of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is a key step toward
understanding how species composition affects carbon, nitrogen and other
nutrient cycling, and the effects of climate change, land use, and other
ecosystem pressures.