Imaging spectrometry has broad utility in ecology, including the ability to map plant functional types and traits, plant species and the response of vegetation to various forms of disturbance, such as drought, forest pathogens and fire. In this talk, I will discuss how leaf chemical and anatomical properties impact leaf spectra, and how this varies from leaf, to branch and finally canopy scales. I will then provide some examples from my research group illustrating the potential of imaging spectrometry in ecology, drawing on examples using VSWIR and TIR spectroscopy to estimate plant traits, the use of imaging spectrometry to identify plant species in natural and urbanized landscapes, mapping the impacts of bark beetles in the Sierra Nevada and combined thermal/imaging spectrometry for estimating reduced crop productivity during drought. I will conclude with a discussion of existing airborne assets, such as NEON-AOP and AVIRIS-Next Gen, and the potential benefits of future spaceborne missions such as ENMAP and SBG.