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Dr Adrian Fisher

Dr Adrian Fisher

Senior Lecturer

2003    PhD, Arid zone geomorphology, UNSW
1997    BSc (Honours class 1), Applied Physical Geography, UNSW

Science
School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences

I specialise in remote sensing of the environment, using satellite imagery, airborne imagery, airborne lidar and field measurements. My research has focused on mapping and monitoring vegetation structure in Australia, though I have also developed methods for mapping clouds, shadows, and surface water. I am a member of Earth Observation Australia and have previously worked for the Joint Remote Sensing Research Program at the University of Queensland, and Geoscience Australia. I also have long-standing interests in the geomorphology, geochronology and Quaternary environmental change in Australia’s desert landscapes, and am a member of the Australasian Quaternary Association.
Phone
+61-2-9385 3393
E-mail
adrian.fisher@unsw.edu.au
Location
Samuels Building (F25) Room G14C
  • Journal articles | 2025
    Sutton A; Fisher AG; Eldridge DJ; Metternicht G, 2025, 'Multi-temporal remote sensing of ground cover reveals beneficial effects of soil carbon farming in a semi-arid landscape', Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 234, pp. 110278 - 110278, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2025.110278
    Journal articles | 2024
    Francis RJ; Kingsford RT; Moseby K; Read J; Pedler R; Fisher A; McCann J; West R, 2024, 'Tracking landscape scale vegetation change in the arid zone by integrating ground, drone and satellite data', Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, 10, pp. 374 - 387, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/rse2.375
    Journal articles | 2022
    Duncanson L; Kellner JR; Armston J; Dubayah R; Minor DM; Hancock S; Healey SP; Patterson PL; Saarela S; Marselis S; Silva CE; Bruening J; Goetz SJ; Tang H; Hofton M; Blair B; Luthcke S; Fatoyinbo L; Abernethy K; Alonso A; Andersen HE; Aplin P; Baker TR; Barbier N; Bastin JF; Biber P; Boeckx P; Bogaert J; Boschetti L; Boucher PB; Boyd DS; Burslem DFRP; Calvo-Rodriguez S; Chave J; Chazdon RL; Clark DB; Clark DA; Cohen WB; Coomes DA; Corona P; Cushman KC; Cutler MEJ; Dalling JW; Dalponte M; Dash J; de-Miguel S; Deng S; Ellis PW; Erasmus B; Fekety PA; Fernandez-Landa A; Ferraz A; Fischer R; Fisher AG; García-Abril A; Gobakken T; Hacker JM; Heurich M; Hill RA; Hopkinson C; Huang H; Hubbell SP; Hudak AT; Huth A; Imbach B; Jeffery KJ; Katoh M; Kearsley E; Kenfack D; Kljun N; Knapp N; Král K; Krůček M; Labrière N; Lewis SL; Longo M; Lucas RM; Main R; Manzanera JA; Martínez RV; Mathieu R; Memiaghe H; Meyer V; Mendoza AM; Monerris A; Montesano P; Morsdorf F; Næsset E; Naidoo L; Nilus R; O'Brien M; Orwig DA; Papathanassiou K; Parker G; Philipson C; Phillips OL; Pisek J; Poulsen JR; Pretzsch H; Rüdiger C, 2022, 'Aboveground biomass density models for NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) lidar mission', Remote Sensing of Environment, 270, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2021.112845
    Journal articles | 2022
    Sutton A; Fisher A; Metternicht G, 2022, 'Assessing the Accuracy of Landsat Vegetation Fractional Cover for Monitoring Australian Drylands', Remote Sensing, 14, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs14246322
    Journal articles | 2021
    Cunliffe AM; Anderson K; Boschetti F; Brazier RE; Graham HA; Myers-Smith IH; Astor T; Boer MM; Calvo LG; Clark PE; Cramer MD; Encinas-Lara MS; Escarzaga SM; Fernández-Guisuraga JM; Fisher AG; Gdulová K; Gillespie BM; Griebel A; Hanan NP; Hanggito MS; Haselberger S; Havrilla CA; Heilman P; Ji W; Karl JW; Kirchhoff M; Kraushaar S; Lyons MB; Marzolff I; Mauritz ME; McIntire CD; Metzen D; Méndez-Barroso LA; Power SC; Prošek J; Sanz-Ablanedo E; Sauer KJ; Schulze-Brüninghoff D; Šímová P; Sitch S; Smit JL; Steele CM; Suárez-Seoane S; Vargas SA; Villarreal M; Visser F; Wachendorf M; Wirnsberger H; Wojcikiewicz R, 2021, 'Global application of an unoccupied aerial vehicle photogrammetry protocol for predicting aboveground biomass in non-forest ecosystems', Remote Sens Ecol Conserv, n/a, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/rse2.228
    Journal articles | 2021
    Fisher A; Mills C; Lyons M; Cornwell W; Letnic M, 2021, 'Remote sensing of trophic cascades: multi-temporal landsat imagery reveals vegetation change driven by the removal of an apex predator', Landscape Ecology, 36, pp. 1341 - 1358, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10980-021-01206-w
    Journal articles | 2021
    Shumack S; Fisher A; Hesse PP, 2021, 'Refining medium resolution fractional cover for arid Australia to detect vegetation dynamics and wind erosion susceptibility on longitudinal dunes', Remote Sensing of Environment, 265, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2021.112647
    Journal articles | 2020
    Fisher A; Armston J; Goodwin N; Scarth P, 2020, 'Modelling canopy gap probability, foliage projective cover and crown projective cover from airborne lidar metrics in Australian forests and woodlands', Remote Sensing of Environment, 237, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.111520
    Journal articles | 2019
    Fisher A; Hesse PP, 2019, 'The response of vegetation cover and dune activity to rainfall, drought and fire observed by multitemporal satellite imagery', Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 44, pp. 2957 - 2967, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/esp.4721
    Journal articles | 2019
    Melville B; Fisher A; Lucieer A, 2019, 'Ultra-high spatial resolution fractional vegetation cover from unmanned aerial multispectral imagery', International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 78, pp. 14 - 24, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2019.01.013
    Journal articles | 2018
    Fisher AG; Scarth P; Armston A; Danaher T, 2018, 'Relating foliage and crown projective cover in Australian tree stands', Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 259, pp. 39 - 47, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2018.04.016
    Journal articles | 2017
    Fisher AG; Danaher T; Gill T, 2017, 'Mapping trees in high resolution imagery across large areas using locally variable thresholds guided by medium resolution tree maps', International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 58, pp. 86 - 96, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2017.02.004
    Journal articles | 2016
    Dawson SK; Fisher AG; Lucas R; Hutchinson DK; Berney P; Keith D; Catford JA; Kingsford RT, 2016, 'Remote Sensing Measures Restoration Successes, but Canopy Heights Lag in Restoring Floodplain Vegetation', Remote Sensing, 8, pp. 542 - 542, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs8070542
    Journal articles | 2016
    Fisher A; Flood N; Danaher T, 2016, 'Comparing Landsat water index methods for automated water classification in eastern Australia', Remote Sensing of Environment, 175, pp. 167 - 182, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2015.12.055
    Journal articles | 2016
    Fisher AG; Day M; Gill T; Roff A; Danaher T; Flood N, 2016, 'Large-Area, High-Resolution Tree Cover Mapping with Multi-Temporal SPOT5 Imagery, New South Wales, Australia', Remote Sensing, 8, pp. 515 - 515, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs8060515
    Journal articles | 2014
    Fisher A; Fink D; Chappell J; Melville M, 2014, '26Al/10Be dating of an aeolian dust mantle soil in western New South Wales, Australia', Geomorphology, 219, pp. 201 - 212, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.05.007
    Journal articles | 2013
    Fisher A; Danaher T, 2013, 'A water index for SPOT5 HRG satellite imagery, New South Wales, Australia, determined by linear discriminant analysis', Remote Sensing, 5, pp. 5907 - 5925, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs5115907
    Journal articles | 2013
    Fisher A, 2013, 'Cloud and cloud-shadow detection in SPOT5 HRG imagery with automated morphological feature extraction', Remote Sensing, 6, pp. 776 - 800, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs6010776
    Journal articles | 2013
    Gilbert E; Marwaha S; Milton A; Johnson S; Morant N; Parsons N; Fisher A; Singh S; Cunliffe D, 2013, 'Social firms as a means of vocational recovery for people with mental illness: A UK survey', BMC Health Services Research, vol. 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-13-270
  • Conference Presentations | 2024
    Fisher A; Sutton A; Com Q, 2024, 'Relating NDVI and fractional vegetation cover in satellite and drone images for investigating arid zone plant composition', presented at The 2024 Advancing Earth Observation Forum, Adelaide, 10 September 2024 - 12 September 2024, http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28204.07049
    Preprints | 2020
    Cunliffe AM; Anderson K; Boschetti F; Brazier RE; Graham HA; Myers-Smith IH; Astor T; Boer MM; Calvo L; Clark PE; Cramer MD; Encinas-Lara MS; Escarzaga SM; Fernández-Guisuraga JM; Fisher AG; Gdulová K; Gillespie BM; Griebel A; Hanan NP; Hanggito MS; Haselberger S; Havrilla CA; Heilman P; Ji W; Karl JW; Kirchhoff M; Kraushaar S; Lyons MB; Marzolff I; Mauritz ME; McIntire CD; Metzen D; Méndez-Barroso LA; Power SC; Prošek J; Sanz-Ablanedo E; Sauer KJ; Schulze-Brüninghoff D; Šímová P; Sitch S; Smit JL; Steele CM; Suárez-Seoane S; Vargas SA; Villarreal ML; Visser F; Wachendorf M; Wirnsberger H; Wojcikiewicz R, 2020, Drone-derived canopy height predicts biomass across non-forest ecosystems globally, http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.16.206011
    Conference Presentations | 2020
    Fisher A; Letnic M; Shumack S, 2020, 'Relating vegetation dynamics and dune morphology in the Strzelecki Desert', presented at A Windy Day Down Under (Online Aeolian Research Conference), 23 September 2020
    Reports | 2019
    Webster E; Kingsford RT; Lyons M; Brandis K; Fisher A, 2019, Tracking the Flow Water Pilot Technology Program Final Report
    Conference Presentations | 2018
    Fisher A; Hesse P, 2018, 'Using satellite imagery to improve our understanding of longitudinal dunes as paleoclimate records', presented at Australasian Quaternary Association (AQUA) Biennial Meeting, Canberra, 10 December 2018 - 13 December 2018
    Conference Presentations | 2017
    Fisher AG; Letnic M; Horn G, 2017, 'Long-term land management effects on rangeland vegetation cover in the Strzelecki Desert', presented at The 37th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, Pretoria, South Africa, 08 May 2017 - 12 May 2017
    Conference Presentations | 2017
    Lucas R; Lucieer A; Fisher A; Zhou Y; Hacker J; McGrath A, 2017, 'Outcomes of the Fowlers Gap unmanned airborne vehicle workshop (2016), NSW, Australia', presented at The 37th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, Pretoria, South Africa, 08 May 2017 - 12 May 2017
    Conference Presentations | 2015
    Fisher AG; Day M; Gill T; Danaher T; Roff A, 2015, 'Assessing a high-resolution woody vegetation map of New South Wales, Australia', presented at Silvilaser 2015, La Grande Motte, France, 28 September 2015 - 30 September 2015
    Conference Presentations | 2014
    Fisher AG; Hesse P, 2014, 'Climate, vegetation and the stability of longitudinal dunes: insights from Landsat TM/ETM+ derived fractional cover', presented at Australasian Quaternary Association (AQUA) Biennial Meeting, Mildura, 29 June 2014 - 04 July 2014
    Software / Code | 2011
    Fisher A, 2011, SICASM: Satellite Image Cloud and Shadow Masking, Python, Published: 2011, Software / Code, http://sicasm.sourceforge.net/
    Conference Presentations | 2008
    Fisher A; English P, 2008, 'Ancient landscapes of the western Canning Basin, north-western Australia: the significance of palaeovalleys in the modern landscape', presented at The 13th Australia and New Zealand Geomorphology Group Conference, Queenstown, Australia, 10 February 2008 - 15 February 2008
    Theses / Dissertations | 2003
    Fisher AG, 2003, The geomorphic evolution of Australian stony deserts: an application of in situ- produced cosmogenic radionuclide analysis at the Fowler`s Gap Aris Zone Research Station
    Conference Papers | 1998
    Fisher AG, 1998, 'Silcretes of Fowlers Gap station, western NSW, and their effect on the geomorphology of the region', in Geodiversity: Readings in Australian Geography at the Close of the 20th Century, School of Geography and Oceanography, on behalf of the Institute of Australian Geographers Conference, Canberra, presented at Institute of Australian Geographers Conference 1999, University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, 29 June 1998 - 03 July 1998

2024    NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub Land and Primary Industries Network: Assessing carbon sequestration in saltbush plantations 2024    Australian Research Council Discovery Project (DP250103039): How brown food webs are critical for sustaining arid ecosystems 2024    DCCEEW Innovative Biodiversity Monitoring Grant: A scalable workflow for the audio sampling of biodiversity for remote Australia
2023    FLOW-MER 2.0: Macquarie River and Marshes, and Lower Balonne River System
2023    Herman Slade Foundation Grant: Apex predator control of the brown food-web
2023    NSW Environmental Trust Grant: Continuous acoustic and habitat monitoring for the critically endangered plains-wanderer
2022    Australian Research Council Linkage Project (LP210100300): Are kangaroos jeopardizing conservation outcomes?
2021    UNSW-BEES Research Infrastructure Scheme: Fowlers Gap Aerial Photo Archive
2021    UNSW Science Industry Network Seed Funding: Understanding the role that brown food webs play in sustaining arid ecosystems
2020    DAWE, Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Program: Invertebrate conservation in the North East Forests of New South Wales
2020    DAWE, Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Program: Building capacity for resilience & recovery of threatened ecological communities
2020    UNSW Science Faculty Research Grant: Modelling arid grass biomass dynamics from drone and satellite imagery
2017    DigitalGlobe Foundation Imagery Grant: Climate, vegetation and the stability of longitudinal dunes

My research is usually in collaboration with the Joint Remote Sensing Research Program using freely available data, such as Landsat Seasonal Fractional Cover, airborne lidar and field measurements. A YouTube video that includes a presentation of my research was recorded as an EOA Webinar (at the 56 minute mark). I have made some 3D models using freely available data and software, which are available to view on github. I focus on improving environmental monitoring in forests and drylands.

Forests
Using airborne lidar and field measurements of tree structure to map biophysical properties of forests.

Drylands
Using multi-temporal satellite imagery, airborne data, and drone imagery to examine environmental change in Australian drylands.

My Research Supervision

Will Magney (PhD joint primary supervisor with Associate Professor Daniel Falster)

Matt Smith (PhD joint supervisor with Professor Mike Letnic)
Rachael Loneragan (PhD joint supervisor with Professor Mike Letnic)
Akhilesh Kumar (PhD joint supervisor with Professor Andy Baker)

Xinyue Zhang (PhD secondary supervisor with Professor Jason Evans)
Mohammed Alshehri (PhD secondary supervisor with Professor Stephen Bonser)
Amelia Jeffery (PhD secondary supervisor with Dr Neil Jordan)

My Teaching

GEOS1701 Environmental Systems, Processes & Issues (Lecturer)
GEOS2821 Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing (Lecturer)
GEOS2721 Australian Physical Environments (Course Coordinator and Lecturer)