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!

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).

Degrees

  • University of Maryland, College Park (2011-2017) - PhD

  • University of Georgia (2009-2011) - MS

  • Wuhan University (2005-2009) - BS

Areas of Interest

  • Remote Sensing
  • Wildfire
  • Forest Disturbance
  • Boreal
  • Tundra

Research Topics

  • Carbon, Vegetation Dynamics and Landscape-Scale Processes
  • Geospatial Information Science and Remote Sensing
  • Human Dimensions of Global Change - Coupled Human and Natural Systems
  • Land Cover - Land Use Change
  • Spring 2025, GEOG 472: Remote Sensing: Digital Processing and Analysis
  • 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
  • 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
  • Guest editor of Remote Sensing Special Issue “Remote Sensing Applications in Wildfire Research and Management”

                        
  • Chen, D., Roy, D.P., Zhu, Z., McVicar, T.R., Sheffield, J., Atkinson, P.M., AghaKouchak, A., Blaschke, T., Borrelli, P., Dorigo, W., Fensholt, R., Gorelick, N., Guanter, L., Hubacek, K., McCabe, M.F., Miralles, D.G., Rammig, A., Reichstein, M., Rignot, E., Rogers, B.M., Tyukavina, A., Veraverbeke, S., Zarco-Tejada, P.J., & Berthier, E. (2025). A call for integrated and cooperative global sharing of China’s Earth observation data. Nature Geoscience https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01833-x

  • Chen, D., & Giglio, L. (2025). A comprehensive assessment of the FireCCILT11 global burned area product. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 144, 104893 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2025.104893

  • Chen, D., Fu, C., Jenkins, L.K., He, J., Wang, Z., Jandt, R.R., Frost, G.V., Bredder, A., Berner, L.T., & Loboda, T.V. (2024). Regional fire–greening positive feedback loops in Alaskan Arctic tundra. Nature Plants https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-024-01850-5

  • Zhu, X., Chen, D. (corresponding author), Kogure, M., Hoy, E., Berner, L.T., Breen, A.L., Chatterjee, A., Davidson, S.J., Frost, G.V., Hollingsworth, T.N., Iwahana, G., Jandt, R.R., Kade, A.N., Loboda, T.V., Macander, M.J., Mack, M., Miller, C.E., Miller, E.A., Natali, S.M., Raynolds, M.K., Rocha, A.V., Tsuyuzaki, S., Tweedie, C.E., Walker, D.A., Williams, M., Xu, X., Zhang, Y., French, N., & Goetz, S. (2024). A synthesized field survey database of vegetation and active-layer properties for the Alaskan tundra (1972–2020). Earth System Science Data, 16, 3687-3703 https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-3687-2024

  • 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

  • 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., 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., 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

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