Nadine T. Laporte

Nadine Laporte
Associate Scientist
Woods Hole Research Center
149 Woods Hole Road
Falmouth, MA 02540-1644
Phone: 508-540-9900 x114
Fax: 508-540-9700

Education

Ph.D. - Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
1990, Tropical Ecology and Remote Sensing
Dissertation: Study of spatio-temporal evolution of tropical vegetation using NOAA-AVHRR imagery in West Africa. - (Etude de l'Evolution Spatio-temporelle de la Végétation Tropicale: Utilisation des données Satellitaires NOAA-AVHRR sur l'Afrique de l'Ouest).

M.Sc. - Université Paul Sabatier
1986, Advanced Studies Degree in Ecology
Thesis: Using SPOT simulation imagery for Land Cover mapping in Kenya-Baringo Lake. (Utilisation des simulations SPOT pour la cartographie de la végétation au Kenya-Lac Baringo.)

B.A. - Université Paul Sabatier
1984, Biology

Professional Experience

  • 2006 - present: Associate Scientist, Woods Hole Research Center
  • 2003 - 2006: Assistant Scientist, Woods Hole Research Center
  • 1996 - 2003: Research Scientist, Department of Geography, University of Maryland, MD
  • 1994 - Present: Consultant in Remote Sensing and Land Cover / Land Use Change
    • Joint Research Centre, Tropical Ecosystem Environmental Observation by Satellite (TREES), Ispra, Italy
    • Biodiversity Support Program, Washington, DC
    • World Research Institute, Washington, DC
    • World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC
    • Wildlife Conservation Society, NY
    • Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia
    • Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
  • 1991 - 1994: Post-Doctoral Researcher at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Global Inventory Mapping and Monitoring (GIMMS) Project

Research Interests

Applications of satellite imagery to monitor and manage tropical forest ecosystems, including vegetation mapping, land-use change (logging, farming), and modeling of land use change impacts on biodiversity and the carbon cycle. Geographical focus: Central and Eastern Africa.

Selected publications

Laporte, N.T., J.A. Stabach, R. Grosch, T.S. Lin, and S. J. Goetz. 2007. Expansion of Industrial Logging in Central Africa. Science 316:1451.

Laporte, N., F. Merry, A. Baccini, S. Goetz, J. Stabach, and M. Bowman. 2007. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD): Reducing CO 2 Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in the Democratic Republic of Congo - A First Look. A Report for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP), Thirteenth Session, 3-14 December 2007, Bali, Indonesia. Woods Hole Research Center, Falmouth, MA. http://whrc.org/policy/BaliReports/index.htm

DeFries, R., G. Asner, F. Achard, C. Justice, N. Laporte, K. Price, C. Small, and J. Townshend. 2005. Monitoring tropical deforestation for emerging carbon markets. In Reduction of Tropical Deforestation and Climate Change Mitigation, ed. P. Mountinho and S. Schwartzman.

Laporte, N.T, T.S. Lin, J. LeMoigne, D. Devers, and M. Honzak. 2004. Towards an operational forest monitoring system for Central Africa. In Land Change Science: Observation, Monitoring, and Understanding Trajectories of Change on the Earth’s Surface, ed. G. Gutman, et al., 97-110. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

Chan, J.C-W., N. Laporte, and R. Defries. 2003. Texture classification of logging in tropical Africa using machine learning algorithms. International Journal of Remote Sensing 24(6):1401-1407.

Wilkie, D., and N. Laporte 2001. Forest area and deforestation in Central Africa: Current knowledge and future directions. In African Rainforest Ecology and Conservation, ed. W. Weber, A. Vedder, S. Morland, and L. White, 119-138, Yale University Press New Haven, CT.

Sunderlin, W., O. Ndoye, H. Bikié, N. Laporte, B. Mertens, and J. Pokam. 2000. Economic crisis, small-scale agriculture, and forest change in southern Cameroon. Environmental Conservation 27(3):284-290.

Plumptre, A.J., N. Laporte, and D. Devers. 2003. Threats to sites. In The Biodiversity of the Albertine Rift, ed. A.J. Plumptre, M. Behangana, T. Davenport, et al. Albertine Rift Technical Reports No. 3(9):77-82. New York: Wildlife Conservation Society.

Laporte, N.T., and T.S. Lin. 2003. Monitoring logging in the tropical forest of the Republic of Congo with Landsat imagery. Proceedings of the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), July 2003, Toulouse, France, Vol. IV:2565-2567.

Laporte, N., S.J. Goetz, , and C.O. Justice, and M. Heinicke. 1998. A new land cover map of central Africa derived from multi-resolution, multi-temporal AVHRR Data. International Journal of Remote Sensing 19(18):3537-3550.

Laporte, N., C. Justice, and J. Kendall. 1995. Mapping the dense humid forest of Cameroon and Zaire using AVHRR satellite data. International Journal of Remote Sensing 16 (6):1127-1145.

Current funded projects

  • The role of natural resources in mitigating political, environmental, and health shocks to extremely poor households in Southeastern Africa (2007-2009).
    Funding: NSF Human and Social Dynamics, Thomas Baerwald (Coordinator Environmental Social and Behavioral Science Activities) & Saran Twombly (Program Director for Ecological Biology).
  • Revitalization of Gorongosa Nationa Park (2007-2009).
    Funding: Richard Beilfuss, Carr Foundation.
  • Forest Biomass and Land-Use Change in Central Africa: Reducing Regional Carbon Cycle Uncertainty (PI).
    Funding: NASA Land use Land Cover Change Program, Garik Gutman (2005-2008).
  • Monitoring the impact of USAID-PRIME/WEST project on the Environment, with special reference to biodiversity (PI).
    Funding: Wildlife Conservation Society (2006-2008).
  • Integrating Earth Science Enterprise Results into Protected Area Decision Support for the African Albertine Region (PI).
    Funding: NASA Application Program (2006-2008). Woody Turner - NASA.
  • Reducing carbon emissions and conserving tropical rainforests in the
    Democratic Republic of Congo and the Amazon Basins: research, policy
    analysis, and strategic dissemination in support of Agenda Item #6 of the
    UNFCCC.
    Funding: Private Foundations and donors (2007-2008

Synergistic activities

  • Resource person for the Africa Global Observation Forest Cover (GOFC) network
  • Africa Capacity Building
    • Remote sensing training workshops in Africa
    • Remote sensing technical backstopping with National Forest Services and Conservation NGOs
    • Woods Hole Research Center Africa Visitor program

Achievements and awards

  • Research Fellowship from the European Community at the Joint Research Centre, Italy from 1987-1990