Reflectance of Alaskan black spruce and white spruce foliage in relation to elevation and latitude.

Leaf reflectance at visible and near-infrared wavelengths (400-1000 nm) is related primarily to pigmentation, leaf structure and water content, and is an important tool for studying stress physiology and relationships between plants and their growth environment. We studied reflectance of two co-occurring Alaskan conifers, black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), at elevations from 60 to 930 m a.