Avian UV vision enhances leaf surface contrasts in forest environments
(2019) In Nature Communications 10(1).- Abstract
UV vision is prevalent, but we know little about its utility in common general tasks, as in resolving habitat structure. Here we visualize vegetated habitats using a multispectral camera with channels mimicking bird photoreceptor sensitivities across the UV-visible spectrum. We find that the contrast between upper and lower leaf surfaces is higher in a UV channel than in any visible channel, and that this makes leaf position and orientation stand out clearly. This was unexpected since both leaf surfaces reflect similarly small proportions (1-2%) of incident UV light. The strong UV-contrast can be explained by downwelling light being brighter than upwelling, and leaves transmitting < 0.06% of incident UV light. We also find that... (More)
UV vision is prevalent, but we know little about its utility in common general tasks, as in resolving habitat structure. Here we visualize vegetated habitats using a multispectral camera with channels mimicking bird photoreceptor sensitivities across the UV-visible spectrum. We find that the contrast between upper and lower leaf surfaces is higher in a UV channel than in any visible channel, and that this makes leaf position and orientation stand out clearly. This was unexpected since both leaf surfaces reflect similarly small proportions (1-2%) of incident UV light. The strong UV-contrast can be explained by downwelling light being brighter than upwelling, and leaves transmitting < 0.06% of incident UV light. We also find that mirror-like specular reflections of the sky and overlying canopy, from the waxy leaf cuticle, often dwarf diffuse reflections. Specular reflections shift leaf color, such that maximum leaf-contrast is seen at short UV wavelengths under open canopies, and at long UV wavelengths under closed canopies.
(Less)
- author
- Tedore, Cynthia LU and Nilsson, Dan Eric LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019-01-22
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Nature Communications
- volume
- 10
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 238
- publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85060366164
- pmid:30670700
- ISSN
- 2041-1723
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41467-018-08142-5
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 32bfd6be-9499-47c1-90b2-b37023d4c2a0
- date added to LUP
- 2019-01-31 13:46:52
- date last changed
- 2024-04-01 20:34:41
@article{32bfd6be-9499-47c1-90b2-b37023d4c2a0,
abstract = {{<p>UV vision is prevalent, but we know little about its utility in common general tasks, as in resolving habitat structure. Here we visualize vegetated habitats using a multispectral camera with channels mimicking bird photoreceptor sensitivities across the UV-visible spectrum. We find that the contrast between upper and lower leaf surfaces is higher in a UV channel than in any visible channel, and that this makes leaf position and orientation stand out clearly. This was unexpected since both leaf surfaces reflect similarly small proportions (1-2%) of incident UV light. The strong UV-contrast can be explained by downwelling light being brighter than upwelling, and leaves transmitting < 0.06% of incident UV light. We also find that mirror-like specular reflections of the sky and overlying canopy, from the waxy leaf cuticle, often dwarf diffuse reflections. Specular reflections shift leaf color, such that maximum leaf-contrast is seen at short UV wavelengths under open canopies, and at long UV wavelengths under closed canopies.</p>}},
author = {{Tedore, Cynthia and Nilsson, Dan Eric}},
issn = {{2041-1723}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{01}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
series = {{Nature Communications}},
title = {{Avian UV vision enhances leaf surface contrasts in forest environments}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-08142-5}},
doi = {{10.1038/s41467-018-08142-5}},
volume = {{10}},
year = {{2019}},
}