The emerging field of ecoinformatics is transforming the way we understand and manage ecological systems, helping bridge the gap between cutting-edge data science and real-world challenges.

Sorin Popescu, Ph.D., a professor of remote sensing in the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is at the forefront of this dynamic field.

With applications spanning ecology, conservation and natural resource management, this multidisciplinary field is creating efficiencies across industries.

Popescu’s research and teaching emphasize the integration of advanced data collection technologies with computational modeling to improve decision-making in conservation science.

“Ecosystems are complex, and you can only imagine the added opportunity when you throw in the complexity of agriculture and natural resource stewardship,” he said. “Ecoinformatics can tell us about the past and present, but more importantly it can tell us about the future and help us make better decisions at community and global levels.”

Dr. Sorin Popescu, holds a UAV in his lab.
Sorin Popescu, Ph.D., holds a UAV in his lab. Popescu is a leading expert in remote sensing and within the ecoinformatics field. He believes the future of natural resource conservation and land management will be guided by data and computer modeling. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)

Harnessing technology for ecological insight

Ecoinformatics sits at the intersection of data and technology, applied science and real-world outcomes, Popescu explained. Data are collected by technology, including state-of-the-art satellites orbiting Earth and remote sensing devices taking site- and task-specific readings.

The field interweaves technology such as geographic information systems, probes and unmanned aerial vehicles, UAV, in addition to statistical modeling programs to analyze information.

A graphic showing trees based on remote sensing data.
A lidar scan showing the growth of trees along John Kimbrough Blvd. on the Texas A&M University campus. Blue dots represent data collected in 2015. Green dots are from 2017, and red dots are lidar data collected in 2023. (Sorin Popescu/Texas A&M AgriLife)

By using these technologies, researchers can monitor landscapes, assess land changes and support efficient resource management.

Scientists are creating a better understanding of our ecosystems by collecting data on everything from precipitation and soil pH to canopy cover and even sounds that might identify certain wildlife species, Popescu said. They are also using modeling programs to project future outcomes based on management practices applied in the field.

“Ecoinformatics is a broad, complex and quickly evolving field,” he said. “We have all these tools to collect data and massive amounts of information they produce. But we need to be able to interpret the data to make informed decisions, so we can positively impact economics, biodiversity and even human health.”

“Ecoinformatics can tell us about the past and present, but more importantly it can tell us about the future and help us make better decisions at community and global levels.”

Sorin Popescu, Ph.D.
Professor of remote sensing in the Texas A&M Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology

Real-world impact: From local habitats to global ecosystems

Ecoinformatics is a broad field, but its application in the real world is typically very specific and focused, Popescu said. For example, he explained how this expertise can be applied to forecast outcomes of ecological initiatives like reforestation projects or for management strategies to control invasive plants or animals.

More specifically to Popescu’s work, he applied this expertise to analyze a data set researchers collected within the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer recharge zone to assess how woody brush encroachment affects groundwater hydrology. Using satellite imaging data from between 1996 and 2023, combined with in-ground sensors, the study provided insights related to managing woody plants to optimize water resources. 

Beyond local applications, Popescu has been the principal investigator on NASA’s Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, science team since 2014. His team has generated a high-resolution, continental-scale vegetation canopy height map of the U.S. That work has helped improve operational planning and efficiency in industries like forestry and land management as well as public safety planning for incidents like wildfires.

A researcher guides a mobile remote sensing unit.
A UAV drone hovers over a planted crop field.
A researacher pulling a floating remote sensing device from a truck bed.
An image of a wheat fields scanned by lidar to show vegetation height.
Remote sensing devices can be applied by land, air and water while satellites collect data as they orbit Earth. But data collection is only a part of ecoinformatics. Data are then translated into useable information to improve management decisions in the field. (Sam Craft and Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)

A field that scales across all levels

Ecoinformatics are applied at the smallest and largest scales. From site-specific field studies to large-scale remote sensing analysis, ecoinformatics can get down to the genomic level but also be applied at localized, regional, continental and even global scales.

Analyzing the data can be a complex process, but the science and expertise of those working in ecoinformatics play a crucial role in optimizing these processes and improving efficiency.

“The future is data-driven,” Popescu said. “Trends all point toward data and data processing being increasingly critical to assess and model solutions for many of the challenges we face in our world today and will face tomorrow.”

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