Current projects

Landscape scale composition, height and biomass estimation of mangrove forests: Mangroves are the most common ecosystem in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. As an ecosystem at the interface of land and sea, mangroves provide habitat for both terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Despite their importance, mangrove forests are in decline. I am interested in determining the patterns of species distribution and composition, forest structure and biomass on large scales using field methods and radar remote sensing techniques. The main focus of this project is to evaluate latitudinal variations in mangrove characteristics while producing mangrove maps that will help conservation efforts and natural resource management.

Previous Projects

Radar Remote Sensing of mangrove forest 3-D structure: Estimation of mangrove extent, height and biomass of Mozambique using Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Data and Landsat ETM+ images

Dynamics and community composition of mangrove forests in Southern Mozambique: First intensive study of the mangrove forest community composition of southern Mozambique. Determination of the change in forest area from 1990 to 2001 using Shuttle Radar Topography mission data and Landsat images.

Dendrochronology of mangrove trees: Study of the growth-ring formation and estimation of stand age of the mangrove Avicennia marina on Inhaca Island, Mozambique.

Publications

Fatoyinbo, T.E., Simard, M., Washington-Allen, R. Shugart, H.H. (in press) Landscape-Scale Extent, Height, Biomass and Carbon Estimation of Mozambique’s Mangrove Forests with Landsat ETM+ and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Elevation Data. Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences Special Issue on Remote Characterization of Vegetation Structure.

Collaborators:

Herman H. Shugart and the Center for Regional Environmental Studies (Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia): www.uvacres.org

Marc Simard (NASA- Jet Propulsion Laboratory): http://scienceandtechnology.jpl.nasa.gov/people/MSimard/

Natasha Ribeiro (Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique): www.uem.co.mz , http://www.uvacres.org/student_page.php?id=10

Kemal Vaz (Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique): www.uem.co.mz

Rhizophora mucronata covered in oyster shells on Inhaca Island

Avicennia marina and Rhizophora mucronata trees on Inhaca Island

Lola Fatoyinbo and research assistants from the University Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique

Temilola E. Fatoyinbo

Contact Information:

Department of Zoology, Silliman Lab,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

Email: Tef3p [AT] virginia [DOT] edu

Phone number: (434) 924 4303

Education:

Ph. D. Environmental Sciences,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA (2008)
Dissertation Title: Growth, Dynamics and Distribution of Mangrove Forests in Mozambique

research interests

Remote Sensing of tropical forests and coastal ecosystems. Mangrove ecology. Carbon cycling and storage. The effect of global climate change on tropical forest and coastal ecosystems. Management and conservation of tropical forests and coastal ecosystems in developing nations.