Remote sensing for monitoring plant Water-Use Strategies across scales in Arid Ecosystems

Water-use strategies in arid regions operate across multiple scales, from individual plants to entire ecosystems, shaped by responses to drought. This Perspective contrasts isohydric and anisohydric strategies and introduces the ecological concept for the "long-distance interactions" and "structural overshoot," where ecosystems exceed their water-use capacity during prolonged droughts. We propose scalable vegetation cover indicators, such as fractional vegetation and biocrust cover, to monitor these dynamics. We also discuss the potential applications of plant water sources, biomass allocation, and functional traits in understanding arid ecosystems. By integrating remote sensing technologies with these indicators, we emphasize the need for advanced drought monitoring tools to enhance plant resilience, optimize water resource management, and improve our understanding of adaptive strategies in arid landscapes.