Remote sensing for vegetation science: A virtual special issue on its power and challenges

Remote sensing represents a valuable addition to field-­based ap- proaches in vegetation science, since it allows for a synoptic view of an area at a broad range of temporal, spectral and spatial res- olutions (Figure 1). New methods and techniques enable assessing vegetation properties with direct use in biodiversity research. This includes the mapping of plant traits, plant functional types and plant communities with their spatio-­temporal variability. The possibility to map vegetation properties as a continuum in space and time pro- vides new insights into patterns and processes.