I am an Environmental Scientist who uses remotely sensed imagery as his basic source of data. I have a background in Biology (University of Madrid, Spain) and Oceanology (D.E.A. University of Aix-Marseille II, France), with a doctorate specialized in Ecology (University of Barcelona, Spain) emphasizing on the description and modeling of the spatial structure of natural communities. I have conducted three years of post-doctoral research at the Universities of Cornell and Princeton (USA). I’ve been recently awarded a position as invited researcher at the Centre d'Études Spatiales de la Biosphère (CNES-CNRS_UPS, Toulouse, France).

My interest on the environmental applications of remotely sensed imagery has led me to become familiar with geographical information systems (GIS) and image processing, developing some original techniques based on image segmentation. My approach to the analysis of remotely sensed imagery also implies the use of multivariate and spatial statistics, exploratory data analysis and modern data visualization techniques.

My activity has always made applied research compatible with basic research. My work deals with the analysis of the atmosphere-soil-vegetation interactions based on temporal series of satellite images of Iberia and the Mediterranean region. At a more detailed scale, I also work on the study of tropical and Mediterranean landscapes from satellite and airborne imagery. Within the framework of interdisciplinary teams, I integrate remotely sensed imagery and field data for the assessment of environmental impact caused by human activity (power plants, mining, logging, fires…), as well as for the design and management of natural areas. I am also interested on theoretical aspects regarding the structure of ecological communities and ecosystems, and their relationships to remotely observed properties.

I have experience with a wide range of digital image sources, including high-resolution digitized color infrared aerial photography, satellite (AVHRR, Vegetation, Modis, Landsat, Spot, ERS) and airborne hyperspectral (DAIS) and SAR (ESAR) imagery. I am now very involved on acquiring low-altitude imagery using remotely-controlled balloons and time series of hemispheric photography as means to better understand airborne and satellite imagery.

I have searched funding for my research activity through competitive grants and contracts with the public and private sectors. I enjoy teaching a graduate course on Remote Sensing at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, being a member of its Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA). Regarding international responsibilities, I’ve been a member of the International Users Committee of the VEGETATION instrument onboard of SPOT-4 and 5 satellites.

Keywords: Remote Sensing, Environment, GIS, Ecology, Conservation, Sustainable Development, Global Change, Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean, Spatial Statistics, Mulvariate Statistics, Modeling, Vegetation Dynamics.