Undergraduate research recognized by international peer-reviewed journal: Christopher Godwin

Christopher Godwin, a newly graduated Geography BS student, published his research as lead author in a high-profile international journal Landscape & Urban Planning. The research was completed while Chris worked in Professor Gang Chen’s lab. It synergies remote sensing LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and aerial photography to efficiently model landscape-level forest carbon storage in Charlotte at a fine resolution of 20 meters. The study discovered that the total amount of carbon stored in the local forests is 3.8 million tonnes ($298 million value), with an average carbon density of 53.6 tonnes per hectare. Results further indicate a decrease of forest carbon density with an increase of carbon variance in neighborhoods where the intensity of development becomes higher.