Tamarisk (or saltcedar), an abundant invasive shrub, has become a dominant riparian woody species throughout much of the western United States. Here, scientists are using a spectrometer to measure the plant's spectral signature, which will support large-scale mapping by new satellite technologies. Invasive plants like tamarisk exacerbate the effects of a warming climate, in this case by usurping water from native plants that are already drought-stressed. Photo by Paul Evangelista, Colorado State University. Used with permission.