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Justin Morgenroth
Urban forestry, forestry, remote sensing, geospatial science
Professor Justin Morgenroth leads the FOReST research group at the School of Forestry. He’s interested in describing the spatial and temporal dynamics of New Zealand’s urban forests, indigenous forests, and exotic forest plantations using a range of quantitative techniques. He works extensively with remote sensing or earth observation techniques, including lidar, as well as aerial and satellite imagery. He holds a BSc in Computer Science (University of Western Ontario), a Masters in Forest Conservation (University of Toronto), and a PhD in Forestry (University of Canterbury).
Vega Xu
Small-scale plantation forests, optical satellite imagery, LiDAR, UAV
Vega Cong Xu is the WIDE Trust Lecturer in Geospatial Technologies and the co-director of the FOReST research group at the School of Forestry. She is interested in remote sensing applications in forestry and natural environment, through processing and analysing remote sensing data such as satellite imagery, LiDAR and UAV photogrammetry to classify forest types, assess forest growth, and monitor vegetation changes. She has recently been working on applying geospatial and remote sensing technologies to better describe New Zealand’s small-scale plantation forests.
Email: cong.xu@canterbury.ac.nz
Ning Ye
Optical satellite imagery, time series, LiDAR, machine learning, Google Earth Engine
Ning Ye is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Forestry, with an international, multidisciplinary background spanning China, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Her expertise encompasses GIS, remote sensing, and forestry, specializing in advanced technologies including LiDAR, drones, satellites, and machine learning for forestry applications. Currently, she is working on the RPBC project "Developing Remote Sensing Methods for Phenotyping Adaptive Traits in Radiata Pine under Drought." This research addresses the critical challenge of drought tolerance plant breeding by developing innovative remote sensing methodologies to understand how radiata pine responds to water stress.
Email: ning.ye@canterbury.ac.nz
Gunjan Sharma
Ecosystem service modelling, satellite remote sensing, LiDAR, i-tree eco
Gunjan is a PhD candidate at the School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, and is supervised by Dr. Justin Morgenroth. She has obtained a Master’s degree in Geography from India and an Erasmus Joint-Masters in Geo-information and Earth Observation for Environmental Modelling and Management from ITC-University of Twente, Netherlands, and Lund University, Sweden. Her current research focuses on exploring the potential of integrating remote sensing data with i-tree Eco for modelling urban tree benefits.
Supervisory team: Justin Morgenroth, Dan Richards (Bioeconomy Science Institute, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research), Ning Ye
Shiva Pariyar
Forest health and vitality, remote sensing, climate change, modelling
Shiva Pariyar is a PhD student in the FOReST research group within the School of Forestry, University of Canterbury. He is interested in assessing the forest health and vitality of plantation forests of New Zealand using remote sensing techniques. His research revolves around utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as UAVs, LiDAR, and satellite imageries to identify and analyze tree diseases at individual tree and forest stand levels. He received Master of Forest Ecosystem Science from the University of Melbourne in Australia and B.Sc. (Forestry) from the Tribhuvan University in Nepal.
Supervisory team: Vega Xu, Justin Morgenroth, Steve Pawson, Ning Ye
Priyanganie Samarasinghe Yapa Mudiyanselage
Urban greening, ecological risk modelling, satellite remote sensing, LiDAR
Priya is a PhD student in the FOReST research group within the School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, and supervised by Associate Professor Justin Morgenroth. She holds a BSc degree in Agricultural Technology and Management from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka, as well as a Master's degree in geoinformatics from the same university. Her current research focuses on urban greening for reduction of ecological risk and minimization of the urban heat island effect.
Supervisory team: Justin Morgenroth, Ning Ye
Email: priyanganiesamarasinghe.yapamudiyanselage@pg.canterbury.ac.nz
Joseph Avis
Remote sensing, species classification, image analysis
Joseph is a PhD Student at the University of Canterbury's, School of Forestry, under the supervision of Dr Vega Xu. His research will focus on developing innovative remote sensing techniques to identify, classify, and monitor minor tree species throughout New Zealand. Through the combination of advanced image analysis and machine learning/deep learning methods, Joseph aims to provide an accurate and efficient tool to monitor and manage these valuable resources. Joseph holds an MSc in Remote Sensing and GIS and has spent the last 5 years working on Earth Observation projects commissioned by the European Space Agency.
Supervisory team: Vega Xu, Justin Morgenroth, Grant Pearse (Flinders University)
Kassidy Callaghan
Remote sensing, satellite imagery, suitability modelling
I am working on utilising machine learning models to assess forest disease using satellite imagery. In particular, I am attempting to create a model that identifies the level of Dothistroma infection using a combination of satellite imagery, vegetation indices, and other environmental variables. Dothistroma is a fungal pathogen that causes pine needle death, slowing growth rates and particularly affecting young trees. Identifying infections allows effective treatment to be applied, reducing the impact of the disease.
Supervisory team: Vega Xu, Steve Pawson, Justin Morgenroth
Email: kca94@uclive.ac.nz
Ashlyn Chan
Urban forestry, remote sensing, urban planning
I am currently undertaking a dissertation focused on modelling urban tree canopy cover, with a particular interest in how geospatial technologies can support sustainable urban forest management. My work explores methods for assessing canopy distribution and structure in urban environments, aiming to inform planning decisions that enhance ecological resilience, climate adaptation, and equitable green infrastructure. I am especially interested in bridging technical analysis with practical applications to support evidence-based urban forestry and environmental policy.
Supervisory team: Justin Morgenroth, James Wang (National Parks Board, Singapore)
Email: ach319@uclive.ac.nz
Jeffrey Pickering
Remote sensing, deforestation mapping, UAV
Jeff is a PhD candidate at the University of Canterbury and former research faculty member in the GLAD group at the University of Maryland. Having worked across dozens of countries, he specializes in using spatial statistics and remote sensing to solve complex environmental issues. His research focuses on fusing multi-source satellite data with ground-level measurements to map forest fire impacts in Guyana.
Jeff’s professional portfolio includes serving as a leading architect for Guyana’s national deforestation mapping program under the Low Carbon Development Strategy, a landmark bilateral initiative with Norway. As a licensed Part 107 UAS operator, he brings global field experience from the US to Central and West Africa. He is passionate about building the next generation of data-driven monitoring systems for global forest resilience and climate change mitigation.
Supervisory team: Vega Xu
Email: jpi78@uclive.ac.nz; jeff@featurespace.io
Personal Website; Google Scholar; ORCID
Xinyi He
Remote sensing, GIS, machine learning, LiDAR
I am a PhD student at the School of Forestry, University of Canterbury. My bachelor's degree is from Hohai University in China, where I majored in GIS with a double major in English. I then earned my Master's degree in Geo-information Science at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. My research interest lies in urban forestry, and I am keen to apply various remote sensing and GIS techniques to address urban forestry challenges. I am skilled in deep learning and machine learning, with extensive experience in processing remote sensing imagery and point cloud data.
Supervisory team: Justin Morgenroth
Email: xinyi.he@pg.canterbury.ac.nz
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