Researchers from the University of Oxford and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) visited the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS) on August 21 to exchange research findings on forest monitoring, marine conservation, and vegetation change.

Prof. Roberto Salguero-Gómez from Oxford discussed forest system monitoring in a rapidly changing world. He explained how ecological observations and remote sensing data can be combined to model forest structure, function, and dynamics, and examined the use of digital twins to monitor forests and assess their responses to environmental change.

Prof. Katrina Davis, also from Oxford, gave a presentation on human interactions with large marine animals. She discussed how remote sensing and spatial data, combined with social-ecological research, can help explain the relationships between human activities and marine ecosystems and inform conservation decisions.

Dr. SHI Hua from USGS presented research on vegetation change in arid ecosystems of the United States using Landsat data. He outlined methods for detecting vegetation trends and identifying their drivers, highlighting how long-term Landsat observations extend field-based measurements across larger areas and longer periods to assess the influence of climate variability and land management.

The presentations were followed by discussions with AIRCAS scientists on integrating multi-source remote sensing and ecological observations, developing digital twins of forest ecosystems, and applying remote sensing to biodiversity conservation.

Participants also explored opportunities for interdisciplinary research, joint academic activities, and future international collaboration in these areas.