Forest ecology, remote sensing and environmental data science.
Research Area
My group’s research focuses on understanding how terrestrial ecosystems function, and how they are changing because of climate change and other human impacts. We focus on computationally intensive approaches, combining remote sensing and traditional data sources to improve monitoring and understanding of ecosystems, with a focus on forests. We often employ data science methods, including deep learning and data fusion, and computational and predictive models, to address our questions, but we also undertake extensive fieldwork including with our ground and drone-based laser scanning (LiDAR) systems. I am also interested in radiative transfer modelling to understand the fundamental relationship between ecosystem structure and function, and the remote sensing signal.
I am a founder member of the Wet Woodlands Research Network, co-leader of the COST Action 3DForEcoTech, and co-director of the Cambridge Centre for Earth Observation, and these networks generate collaborations and projects for my group. In addition, we often work closely with researchers in industry and non-profits, including RBG Kew and the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
Project Interests
I am interested in projects that align to or complement our current work. Good project topics might include: 1) studying the structure of biodiverse European forests using our extensive 3D laser scanning dataset; 2) understanding carbon storage and dynamics of wet woodlands; 3) forest radiative transfer modelling, including to understand temporal dynamics of structure and spectral invariants (photon re-collision probability); 4) how 3D data of forests can predict microclimate and microhabitat for climate change adaptation, and 5) ground-satellite data fusion for modelling the response of European forests to climate change. Self-proposed topics are welcome if they fit with our interests.
