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Dr Adrian Fisher
Senior Lecturer

Dr Adrian Fisher

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.

Thinking about doing a PhD? How about working on improving models of Australian tree structure with lidar.

While my research has focused on mapping and monitoring vegetation structure in Australia, 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 | 2022
    2022, 'Aboveground biomass density models for NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) lidar mission', Remote Sensing of Environment, 270, pp. 112845 - 112845, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2021.112845
    Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'Assessing the Accuracy of Landsat Vegetation Fractional Cover for Monitoring Australian Drylands', Remote Sensing, 14, pp. 6322 - 6322, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs14246322
    Journal articles | 2021
    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
    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, pp. 112647 - 112647, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2021.112647
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Remote sensing of trophic cascades: multi-temporal landsat imagery reveals vegetation change driven by the removal of an apex predator', Landscape Ecology, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10980-021-01206-w
    Journal articles | 2020
    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, pp. 111520 - 111520, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.111520
    Journal articles | 2019
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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 | 2016
    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 | 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 | 2020
    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
    Preprints | 2020
    2020, Drone-derived canopy height predicts biomass across non-forest ecosystems globally, , http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.16.206011
    Reports | 2019
    2019, Tracking the Flow Water Pilot Technology Program Final Report
    Conference Presentations | 2018
    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
    2011, SICASM: Satellite Image Cloud and Shadow Masking, Python, Published: 2011, Software / Code, http://sicasm.sourceforge.net/
    Conference Presentations | 2008
    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

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

Andres Sutton (PhD joint supervisor with Professor David Eldridge)
Xinyue Zhang (PhD co-supervisor with Professor Jason Evans)
Rachael Loneragan (PhD joint supervisor with Professor Mike Letnic)
Matt Smith (PhD joint supervisor with Professor Mike Letnic)

My Teaching

BEES1041 Exploring the Natural World (Course Coordinator and Lecturer)
GEOS1701 Environmental Systems, Processes & Issues (Lecturer)
GEOS2821 Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing (Lecturer)
GEOS3811 Advanced Techniques in Remote Sensing (This course is on hold and not offered at this time)