Chen, Dong (Tony)

Bio

My name is Dong Chen (陈栋) and my research primarily focuses on using remote sensing, GIS, and machine learning to better understand the climatic, ecological, and societal impacts of wildfires in the Arctic boreal and tundra ecosystems. Additionally, I am interested in applying geospatial techniques in research related to public health.

I am the Principal Lead of NASA ABoVE Disturbance Working Group. 

Feel free to stop by my office (RM315 at River Rd Bldg) if you want to discuss research ideas or just have a chat!

Peer-reviewed Publications

• Chen, D., Fu, C., Jenkins, L. K., He, J., Jandt, R.R., Frost, G.V., Baer, A., & Loboda, T.V. (in 3rd round of review at Nature Plants). Fire-vegetation interactions in Arctic tundra and their spatial variability
• Zhu, X., Chen, D. (corresponding author), Kogure, M., Hoy, E., Berner, L., Breen, A., Chatterjee, A., Davidson, S., Frost, G., Hollingsworth, T., Iwahana, G., Jandt, R., Kade, A., Loboda, T., Macander, M., Mack, M., Miller, C., Miller, E., Natali, S., Raynolds, M., Rocha, A., Tsuyuzaki, S., Tweedie, C., Walker, D., Williams, M., Xu, X., Zhang, Y., French, N., & Goetz, S. (in review at Earth System Science Data). A synthesized field survey database of vegetation and active layer properties for the Alaskan tundra (1972-2020)
• Chen, D., Billmire, M., Loughner, C.P., Bredder, A., French, N.H.F., Kim, H.C., & Loboda, T.V. (2023). Simulating spatio-temporal dynamics of surface PM2.5 emitted from Alaskan wildfires. Science of The Total Environment, 165594 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165594
• Hoffman-Hall, A., Puett, R., Silva, J.A., Chen, D., Bredder, A., Shevade, V., Han, Z.Y., Han, K.T., Aung, P.P., Plowe, C.V., Nyunt, M.M., & Loboda, T.V. (2023). Comparison of Deforestation and Forest Land Use Factors for Malaria Elimination in Myanmar. IJID Regions https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijregi.2023.06.006
• Foster, A.C., Wang, J.A., Frost, G.V., Davidson, S.J., Hoy, E., Turner, K.W., Sonnentag, O., Epstein, H., Berner, L.T., Armstrong, A.H., Kang, M., Rogers, B.M., Campbell, E., Miner, K.R., Orndahl, K.M., Bourgeau-Chavez, L.L., Lutz, D.A., French, N., Chen, D., Du, J., Shestakova, T.A., Shuman, J.K., Tape, K., Virkkala, A.-M., Potter, C., & Goetz, S. (2022). Disturbances in North American boreal forest and Arctic tundra: impacts, interactions, and responses. Environmental Research Letters https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac98d7
• Li, Y., Stewart, K., Han, K.T., Han, Z.Y., Aung, P.P., Thein, Z.W., Htay, T., Chen, D., Nyunt, M.M., & Plowe, C.V. (2022). Understanding spatio-temporal human mobility patterns for malaria control using a multi-agent mobility simulation model. Clinical Infectious Diseases https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciac568
• Chen, D., Shevade, V., Baer, A.E., & Loboda, T.V. (2021). Missing burns in the high northern latitudes: The case for regionally focused burned area products. Remote Sensing, 13, 4145 https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13204145
• Chen, D., Loboda, T.V., Silva, J.A., & Tonellato, M.R. (2021). Characterizing Small-Town Development Using Very High Resolution Imagery within Remote Rural Settings of Mozambique. Remote Sensing, 13, 3385 https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13173385
• Chen, D., Fu, C., Hall, J.V., Hoy, E.E., & Loboda, T.V. (2021). Spatio-temporal patterns of optimal Landsat data for burn severity index calculations: implications for high northern latitudes wildfire research. Remote Sensing of Environment, 258, 112393 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2021.112393
• Chen, D., Shevade, V., Baer, A., He, J., Hoffman-Hall, A., Ying, Q., Li, Y., & Loboda, T.V. (2021). A disease control-oriented land cover land use map for Myanmar. Data, 6, 63 https://doi.org/10.3390/data6060063
• He, J., Chen, D., Jenkins, L., & Loboda, T.V. (2021). Impacts of wildfire and landscape factors on organic soil properties in Arctic tussock tundra. Environmental Research Letters https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac1192 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac1192
• Chen, D., Loboda, T.V., & Hall, J.V. (2020). A systematic evaluation of influence of image selection process on remote sensing-based burn severity indices in North American boreal forest and tundra ecosystems. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 159, 63-77 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2019.11.011
• Hoffman-Hall, A., Puett, R., Silva, J., Chen, D., Baer, A., Han, K.T., Han, Z.Y., Thi, A., Htay, T., Thein, Z.W., Aung, P.P., Plowe, C., Nyunt, M.M., & Loboda, T. (2020). Malaria Exposure in Ann Township, Myanmar as a Function of Land Cover and Land Use: Combining Satellite Earth Observations and Field Surveys. GeoHealth, 4. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GH000299
• Hoffman-Hall, A., Loboda, T.V., Hall, J.V., Carroll, M.L., & Chen, D. (2019). Mapping remote rural settlements at 30 m spatial resolution using geospatial data-fusion. Remote Sensing of Environment, 233, 111386 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.111386
• He, J., Loboda, T.V., Jenkins, L., & Chen, D. (2019). Mapping fractional cover of major fuel type components across Alaskan tundra. Remote Sensing of Environment, 232, 111324 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.111324
• Chen, D., & Loboda, T.V. (2018). Surface forcing of non-stand-replacing fires in Siberian larch forests. Environmental Research Letters, 13, 045008.  https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aab443
• Chen, D., Loboda, T.V., He, T., Zhang, Y., & Liang, S. (2018). Strong cooling induced by stand-replacing fires through albedo in Siberian larch forests. Scientific Reports, 8, 4821.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23253-1
• Loboda, T.V., & Chen, D. (2017). Spatial distribution of young forests and carbon fluxes within recent disturbances in Russia. Global Change Biology, 23, 138-153.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13349
• Chen, D., Loboda, T.V., Krylov, A., & Potapov, P.V. (2016). Mapping stand age dynamics of the Siberian larch forests from recent Landsat observations. Remote Sensing of Environment, 187, 320-331.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2016.10.033
• Chen, D., Loboda, T., Channan, S., & Hoffman-Hall, A. (2014). Long-Term Record of Sampled Disturbances in Northern Eurasian Boreal Forest from Pre-2000 Landsat Data. Remote Sensing, 6, 6020-6038. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs6076020

Research and Community Leadership

• Principal Lead of NASA’s Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) Disturbance Working Group
• Primary convener of session “Dynamic Disturbance Processes in Permafrost Regions” at 2022 AGU Fall Meeting
• Member of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Fire & Arctic Working Group
• Guest editor of Remote Sensing Special Issue “Remote Sensing Applications in Wildfire Research and Management”

Teaching

• Spring 2021, GEOG421: Changing Geographies of China
• Summer 2019, GEOG376: Introduction to Computer Programming for GIS
• Spring 2019, GEOG376: Introduction to Computer Programming for GIS

Successful Grants

• PI for Dean’s Research Initiative Seed Grant from College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at University of Maryland "Characterizing recent wildfire regimes across the circumpolar Arctic tundra in the context of climate change" ($10,162).
• Co-I for the NASA Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment project "Assessing impact of climate-driven increase in wildfire emissions on air quality and health of urban and indigenous populations in Alaska" (2019-2022; $808,139; PI: Tatiana Loboda).

Published Datasets

• Chen, D., Billmire, M., Bredder, A., French, N.H.F., & Loboda, T.V. (2023). Simulated Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Estimates over Alaska, 2001-2015. ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/2157
• Chen, D., Zhu, X., Kogure, M., Hoy, E., Xu, X., French, N., Berner, L.T., Breen, A.L., Bret-Harte, M.S., Davidson, S.J., Ebersole, J.J., Frost, G.V., Goetz, S.J., Hewitt, R.E., Hollingsworth, T.N., Hung, J.K.Y., Iversen, C.M., Iwahana, G., Jandt, R.R., Jenkins, L.K., Kade, A.N., Klupar, I., Loboda, T.V., Ludwig, S.M., Macander, M.J., Mack, M.C., Meyers, C.R., Michaelides, R.J., Miller, E.A., Natali, S.M., Nawrocki, T.W., Nelson, P.R., Parsekian, A.D., Rastetter, E., Raynolds, M.K., Rocha, A.V., Schaefer, K., Schickhoff, U., Schuur, E.A.G., Tsuyuzaki, S., Tweedie, C.E., Vargas, S., Walker, D.A., Webber, P.J., Williams, M., & Zona, D. (2023). Field Data on Soils, Vegetation, and Fire History for Alaska Tundra Sites, 1972-2020. ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/2177
• Loboda, T.V., Jenkins, L.K., Chen, D., He, J., & Baer, A. (2022). Burned and Unburned Field Site Data, Noatak, Seward, and North Slope, AK, 2016-2018. ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1919
• Chen, D., Baer, A., He, J., Hoffman-Hall, A., Shevade, V., Ying, Q., & Loboda, T.V. (2020). Land cover land use map for Myanmar at 30-m resolution for 2016. PANGAEA, https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.921126
• He, J., Loboda, T.V., Jenkins, L., & Chen, D. (2020). ABoVE: Distribution Maps of Wildland Fire Fuel Components across Alaskan Tundra, 2015. ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center, Tennessee, USA https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1761
  Loboda, T.V., Chen, D., Hall, J.V., & He, J. (2018). ABoVE: Landsat-derived Burn Scar dNBR across Alaska and Canada, 1985-2015. ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1564
• Chen, D., Loboda, T.V., Krylov, A., & Potapov, P.V. (2017). Distribution of Estimated Stand Age Across Siberian Larch Forests, 1989-2012. ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. http://dx.doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1364
• Loboda, T.V., & Chen, D. (2016). Distribution of Young Forests and Estimated Stand Age across Russia, 2012. ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. http://dx.doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1330
• Chen, D., Loboda, T.V., Channan, S., & Hoffman-Hall, A. (2015). Russian Boreal Forest Disturbance Maps Derived from Landsat Imagery, 1984-2000. ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. http://dx.doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1294

Field Work Experiences

• Arctic tundra region in Alaska (Seward Peninsula), July – August 2017
• Arctic tundra region in Alaska (Noatak River), July – August 2016
• Arctic tundra region in Alaska (Brooks Range North Slope), August 2012
• Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Newton GA, September 2010