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Leaf mass per area (LMA) Dry weight per one-sided leaf area (typically g/m
2
).
Inverse of specific leaf area (SLA) (based on unit conventions, LMA = 1000/SLA).
Leaf morphology The shape and structural characteristics of leaves.
Leaf traits Characteristics that describe physiochemical attributes of leaves, such
as pigment concentration, water content, dry matter, and structure, all of which
have a functional role in plant growth and resource allocation.
Liana A woody plant that is rooted in the soil and grows by climbing up trees or
other substrates by various means (tendrils, adventitious roots, twining stems,
etc.) in order to reach the top of the canopy.
LiDAR Acronym for light detection and ranging. In LiDAR measurements, time
of transmission of a laser pulse between the instrument and a reflecting object
is measured and converted to a distance measurement. LiDAR can also provide
detailed 3-D information of the landscape, trees in a forest, and other objects.
Light An imprecise term that when used in relation to spectroscopy, remote sensing, or plant photosynthesis requires precise definition in terms of the portion
of the sun’s electromagnetic spectrum that is being referred to. Visible light
is considered to be the range of wavelengths perceivable to the human eye—
approximately 380–740 nm, which is similar to the range active in photosynthesis (400–700 nm).
Lignin A large polymorphous molecule with repeating complex polyphenol
units that is a common component in secondary plant cell walls that provides
structural strength, enables water transport, and resists decomposition in soil
organic matter.
Lineage Typically means the same as clade (see definition); more rarely, the set of
ancestors leading to a specified taxon.
Lithology The study of rocks or the character of a rock formation.
Lithosphere The solid Earth, from its surface to its core. The lithosphere is one
subcomponent of the geosphere.
Lysimeter An apparatus for the measurement of water within a soil profile that
when combined with rain gauge data enables inference of soil drainage rates,
plant water use, and evapotranspiration. They are also used to estimate soil water
nutrient dynamics to understand nutrient availability and leaching.
Macrophyte A large aquatic plant—as opposed to phytoplankton (algae)—that
grows in or near water.
Maximum likelihood estimation A supervised classification method for estimating parameter values of statistical model in which observed data are most probable given the process described by the assumed statistical model. Parameter
values are estimated by a likelihood function that maximizes the probability that
the observations are true given the parameters.
Mean normalization Standardizing a vector to the mean of the components,
which changes the magnitude but not the direction of the vector; a useful transformation for spectral reflectance data from plants when the magnitude of reflectance varies among samples (see also vector normalization).
Mean phylogenetic distance (MPD) The average evolutionary distance between
each pair of species in a given community, where evolutionary distance is measured as the sum of the branch lengths between two species in the phylogeny.
Glossary
Leaf mass per area (LMA) Dry weight per one-sided leaf area (typically g/m
2
).
Inverse of specific leaf area (SLA) (based on unit conventions, LMA = 1000/SLA).
Leaf morphology The shape and structural characteristics of leaves.
Leaf traits Characteristics that describe physiochemical attributes of leaves, such
as pigment concentration, water content, dry matter, and structure, all of which
have a functional role in plant growth and resource allocation.
Liana A woody plant that is rooted in the soil and grows by climbing up trees or
other substrates by various means (tendrils, adventitious roots, twining stems,
etc.) in order to reach the top of the canopy.
LiDAR Acronym for light detection and ranging. In LiDAR measurements, time
of transmission of a laser pulse between the instrument and a reflecting object
is measured and converted to a distance measurement. LiDAR can also provide
detailed 3-D information of the landscape, trees in a forest, and other objects.
Light An imprecise term that when used in relation to spectroscopy, remote sensing, or plant photosynthesis requires precise definition in terms of the portion
of the sun’s electromagnetic spectrum that is being referred to. Visible light
is considered to be the range of wavelengths perceivable to the human eye—
approximately 380–740 nm, which is similar to the range active in photosynthesis (400–700 nm).
Lignin A large polymorphous molecule with repeating complex polyphenol
units that is a common component in secondary plant cell walls that provides
structural strength, enables water transport, and resists decomposition in soil
organic matter.
Lineage Typically means the same as clade (see definition); more rarely, the set of
ancestors leading to a specified taxon.
Lithology The study of rocks or the character of a rock formation.
Lithosphere The solid Earth, from its surface to its core. The lithosphere is one
subcomponent of the geosphere.
Lysimeter An apparatus for the measurement of water within a soil profile that
when combined with rain gauge data enables inference of soil drainage rates,
plant water use, and evapotranspiration. They are also used to estimate soil water
nutrient dynamics to understand nutrient availability and leaching.
Macrophyte A large aquatic plant—as opposed to phytoplankton (algae)—that
grows in or near water.
Maximum likelihood estimation A supervised classification method for estimating parameter values of statistical model in which observed data are most probable given the process described by the assumed statistical model. Parameter
values are estimated by a likelihood function that maximizes the probability that
the observations are true given the parameters.
Mean normalization Standardizing a vector to the mean of the components,
which changes the magnitude but not the direction of the vector; a useful transformation for spectral reflectance data from plants when the magnitude of reflectance varies among samples (see also vector normalization).
Mean phylogenetic distance (MPD) The average evolutionary distance between
each pair of species in a given community, where evolutionary distance is measured as the sum of the branch lengths between two species in the phylogeny.
Glossary