David A. Coomes

Simplifying complexity: the reliability of lidar-derived forest structural complexity metrics for conservation management

This study evaluates how resolution choices affect lidar-derived forest structural complexity metrics and their ecological interpretations in conservation management.

Consistent crown phenology, not functional traits, predicts whether tropical trees can be mapped from imaging spectroscopy

The paper finds that consistent crown phenology, not functional traits, is the key factor determining whether tropical tree species can be accurately mapped using imaging spectroscopy.

Geospatial foundation models enable data-efficient tree species mapping in temperate mountain forests

This paper evaluates geospatial foundation models for tree species mapping in mountain forests, finding they outperform traditional methods with fewer labels and preserve ecological structure, though performance degrades over time.

Liana cutting accelerates tropical forest recovery at a fraction of the cost of tree planting

This study compares enrichment tree planting and liana cutting for tropical forest restoration, finding liana cutting accelerates canopy height recovery more rapidly and cheaply.

A global map of wood density

The paper creates a high-resolution global map of wood density using species and vegetation data, showing improved accuracy and a wider density range than previous estimates.

The global spectrum of tree crown architecture

The paper analyzes global tree crown architecture to identify factors driving diversity in height, crown size, and shape across species.

Advances and limits of species-level canopy mapping in a hyperdiverse tropical forest: multi-temporal crown segmentation and airborne imaging spectroscopy

This study evaluates species-level canopy mapping in a hyperdiverse tropical forest using multi-temporal crown segmentation and airborne hyperspectral data, finding 70% canopy area correctly mapped to species.

Sensitivity of estimates of the effectiveness of REDD+ projects to matching specifications and moving from pixels to polygons as the unit of analysis

This study evaluates how different matching specifications and analysis units affect estimates of REDD+ project effectiveness, finding consistent results despite methodological variations.