Xiaojun Yang

Biography

Xiaojun Yang, Ph.D., earned his doctorate in Geography from the University of Georgia in 2000.

Education

Ph.D., University of Georgia, 2000

Courses Taught

• Introduction to Remote Sensing (GIS4035|5034)
• Advanced Remote Sensing (GIS5038C)
• GIS for Environmental Analysis and Modeling (GIS5305)
• Geographic Visualization (GIS5131)
• GIScience Capstone (GIS5950)

Research Activities

• Information extraction from remote sensor imagery
• Spatial data integration and synthesis
• Urban growth monitoring and predictive modeling
• Landscape analysis and watershed modeling
• Coastal and estuarine ecosystems
• Geo-Hazard mapping and zonation

Selected Publications

Books

• Yang, X. (ed) 2022. Urban Remote Sensing: Monitoring, Synthesis and Modeling in the Urban Environment (2nd). Wiley-Blackwell, 528p.
• Yang, X. and Jiang, S. (eds) 2019. Challenges Towards Ecological Sustainability in China: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. Springer, 535p.
• Yang, X. (ed) 2009. Remote Sensing and Geospatial Technologies for Coastal Ecosystem Assessment and Management. Springer, 561p.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

• Xiao, R., Zhong, J., Rao, X., Wang, P., Bai, J., Wang, Z., Yang, X., Huang, F., and Jiang, H., 2025. An innovative framework for urban allergenic risk assessment: Perspectives from hazard to hazard-exposure-vulnerability. Building and Environment, Vol 271, 112507. Https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.112507
• Li, Z., Kong, F., Yin, H., Meadows, M., Yang, X., Zhou, K., and Su, J. 2024. Considering the dynamics of water surface boundaries to measure the evolution of hydrological connectivity in the Yangtze River Delta, China. Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment, 48(1): 96-112; Https://doi.org/10.1177/0309133323121
• Leng, S., Sun, R., Yang, X., and Chen, L. 2023. Global inequities in population exposure to urban greenspaces increased amidst tree and nontree vegetation cover expansion. Communications Earth & Environment, 4, 464. Https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01141-5
• Lai, F. and Yang, X. 2022. Improving land cover mapping over a large coastal city through stacked generalization with filtered training samples. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 88(7):451-459. Winner of the 2023 ESRI Award for Best Scientific Paper in GIS given by American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS)
• Liang, J., Ding, Z., Jiang, Z., Yang, X., Xiao, R., Singh, P., Hu, Y., Zhang, Z., and Hu, H. 2021. Climate change, habitat connectivity and conservation gaps: A case study on four endemic ungulate species on the Tibetan Plateau. Landscape Ecology, 36:1071-1087
• Zhang, F. and Yang, X. 2020. Improving land cover classification in an urbanized coastal area by random forests: The role of variable selection. Remote Sensing of Environment, 251, Https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2020.112105
• Sun, R., Lu, Y., Yang, X., and Chen, L. 2019. Understanding the variability of urban heat islands from local background climate and urbanization. Journal of Cleaner Production, 208: 743-752
• Sharma, A., Liu, X., and Yang, X. 2018. Land cover classification from multi-temporal, multi-spectral remotely sensed imagery using patch-based recurrent neural networks. Neural Networks, 105:346–355
• Yin, H., Kong, F., Yang, X., James, P., and Dronova, I. 2018. Exploring zoning scenario impacts upon urban growth simulations using a dynamic spatial model. Cities, 81 (November):214-229
• Shi, D. and Yang, X. 2016. An assessment of algorithmic parameters affecting image classification accuracy by random forests. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 82(6):407-417
• Liu, T. and Yang, X. 2015. Monitoring land changes in an urban area using satellite imagery, GIS and landscape metrics. Applied Geography, 56(1):42-52
• Liu, T. and Yang, X. 2013. Mapping vegetation in an urban area with stratified classification and multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis. Remote Sensing of Environment, 133:251-264
• Yang, X. 2012. An Assessment of landscape characteristics affecting estuarine nitrogen loading in an urban watershed. Journal of Environmental Management, 94(1):50-60
• Yang, X. 2011. Parameterizing support vector machines for land cover classification. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 77(1):27-37
• Yang, X. and Chen, L. 2010. Using multi-temporal remote sensor imagery to detect earthquake-triggered landslides. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 12(6):487-495