Asst. Prof. KEMAL GÖKKAYA

Biography

I'm an ecologist specializing in spatial aspects of ecological processes to understand and characterize ecosystems. I work at the interface of ecology, plant and forest ecology and physiology, soil science and geography. As such, my research interests range from field based studies to desktop/computer-based analyses, which involve using geospatial technologies such as Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and modeling.

I conducted field work in temperate wetlands and forests of Northeastern USA, boreal forests in Canada, agricultural fields in the midwestern USA and the arctic tundra in Alaska, USA. Completed research projects are

·         Effect of phosphorus (P) on symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation by speckled alder in wetlands of New York State

·         Characterization and modelling of foliar nutrients (N, P, potassium, calcium and magnesium) and chlorophyll in a boreal forest canopy using hyperspectral remote sensing and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)

·         Identifying subsurface tile drainage in agricultural fields with synergistic use of RS and GIS

·         Geographic analysis of earthquake damage across Turkey between 1900 and 2012

Students who are interested in working with me should have interest and willingness to learn and use RS and GIS to address an ecological problem. Students from other disciplines including geography, soil and water science, forestry, engineering who have a genuine interest in ecology also are welcome to contact me for research opportunities.