Forest Change Analysis Lab
Disturbance ecology | Forest management | Data science
The Forest Change Analysis Lab (FOCAL) at the University of California, Davis works at the intersection of disturbance ecology and data science. We collect and analyze data to inform forest management in an era of climate change, drought, and large high-severity wildfires. We rely as much on large geospatial datasets as on field-based measurements of forests. We work closely with forest managers in an effort to address pressing forest management needs.
Current Research
Drone-based forest mapping
Developing methods to map forests at the individual tree level using drones, photogrammetry, and computer vision
Automated understory fuel inventory
Using 360-degree ground imagery for automated understory vegetation and fuel inventory
Long-term post-fire forest recovery
Using aerial imagery and computer vision to quantify forest recovery 10-40 years post-fire across California
Early post-fire regeneration
Understanding the early (1-2 years post-fire) drivers of conifer regeneration in high-severity burn patches
Mapping post-fire surviving trees
Using high-resolution satellite imagery and plot data to build tools for rapid mapping of surviving trees following fire
Post-fire conifer seed dispersal
Combining drone-based tree maps and field surveys to model seed dispersal and tree regeneration across post-fire landscapes
Contact
- djyoung@ucdavis.edu
- Derek Young, Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
- Plant and Environmental Sciences Building
- Lab member contact info