DoctorCong Xu

I use remote sensing to understand and measure forests and the natural environment. My work integrates LiDAR, UAV and satellite imagery with machine learning to map forest types, monitor forest dynamics and land cover change, and estimate key structural and biophysical variables.

My research focuses on New Zealand’s small-scale plantation forests (woodlots), with an emphasis on mapping and inventory using remote sensing. This includes classifying tree species, estimating stand age, and deriving tree and stand-level attributes to support forest management and decision-making. I am the co-director of the Forest Observation with Remote Sensing Technologies (FOReST) research group at the University of Canterbury School of Forestry, and I welcome enquiries from motivated postgraduate students who are interested in research in this area.