Canopy Temperature Is Regulated by Ecosystem Structural Traits and Captures the Ecohydrologic Dynamics of a Semiarid Mixed Conifer Forest Site

Plant canopy temperature (Tc) is partly regulated by evaporation and transpiration from the canopy surface and can be used to infer changes in stomatal regulation and vegetation water stress. In this study, we used a thermal Unmanned Aircraft Systems in conjunction with eddy covariance, sap flow, and spectral reflectance data to assess the diurnal characteristics of Tc and water stress status over a semiarid mixed conifer forest in Arizona, USA. Diurnal Tc dynamics were closely related to tree sap flow and changes in spectral reflectance associated with stomatal regulation. Consistent with previously reported deviations, we found that on average Tc was 1.8°C lower than the above canopy air temperature (Ta). However, the relationship between Tc and Ta varied significantly according to tree density and tree height classes, with taller and denser trees exhibiting relatively low |Tc‐Ta| (2.4 and 2.1°C cooler canopies, respectively) compared to shorter and less‐dense tree stands (1.7 and 1.5°C cooler canopies, respectively). We used these data to evaluate space‐borne diurnal measurements of Tc and water stress from the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) mission. We found that ECOSTRESS observations of Tc accurately tracked seasonal shifts in diurnal surface temperatures and vegetation water stress, and that site‐level observations of heterogeneity in forest composition and structure could be applied to separate the processes of canopy transpiration and soil evaporation within the ECOSTRESS footprint. This study demonstrates how proximal and satellite remote sensing approaches can be combined to reveal the diurnal and seasonally dynamic nature of Tc and water stress. Plain Language Summary Plant canopy temperature (Tc) is partly regulated via canopy evaporation and transpiration, similar to how the process of sweating works to cool the human body. In semiarid forests such as those of the southwest United States, the sensitivity of canopy water stress to changing environmental conditions may differ based on tree density and height. However, these links are not well understood due to the coarseness of currently available satellite‐based estimates of Tc and the challenges associated with field‐based measurements of Tc in relatively inaccessible tall tree stands. As a result, we took advantage of recent advancements in thermal Unmanned Aircraft Systems and the recent NASA ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment