Professor Ruben Valbuena
Honorary Professor

Affiliations
Contact info
Room: G19, Thoday Building, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University
Email: r.valbuena@bangor.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)1248 38 2445
Web: GoogleScholar, ResearchGate, Publons
My work consists in the use of big data to answer ecological questions at the ecosystem community and landscape levels. I use remote sensing data, LIDAR in particular, due to its great potential for analysing structural and morphological traits of ecosystems, and thus estimate carbon stocks, ecosystem services, or habitat suitability for species. During the last seven years, I have pioneer adaptations of methods based on Lorenz curves to forest science and remote sensing; work awarded with the International Union of Forest Researchers (IUFRO) 2019’s Outstanding Doctoral Research Award.
- 2020
- Published
Standardizing Ecosystem Morphological Traits from 3D Information Sources
Valbuena, R., O'Connor, B., Zellweger, F., Simonson, W., Vihervaara, P., Maltamo, M., Silva, C. A., Almeida, D. R. A., Danks, F., Morsdorf, F., Chirici, G., Lucas, R., Coomes, D. A. & Coops, N. C., 1 Aug 2020, In: Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 35, 8, p. 656-667Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
- Published
Simulation of overflow thresholds in urban basins: Case study in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico
Silva Cervantes, M., Hernando, A., García-Abril, A., Valbuena, R., Velázquez Saornil, J. & Manzanera, J. A., 1 Sept 2020, In: River Research and Applications. 36, 7, p. 1307-1320 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Detecting successional changes in tropical forest structure using GatorEye drone-borne lidar
Alves de Almeida, D. R., Almeyda Zambrano, A. M., Broadbent, E. N., Wendt, A. L., Foster, P., Wilkinson, B. E., Salk, C., Papa, D. D. A., Stark, S. C., Valbuena, R., Gorgens, E. B., Silva, C. A., Santin Brancalion, P. H., Fagan, M., Meli, P. & Chazdon, R., Nov 2020, In: Biotropica. 52, 6, p. 1155-1167 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2021
- Published
Resource availability and disturbance shape maximum tree height across the Amazon
Gorgens, E. B., Nunes, M. H., Jackson, T., Coomes, D., Keller, M., Reis, C. R., Valbuena, R., Rosette, J., de Almeida, D. R. A., Gimenez, B., Cantinho, R., Motta, A. Z., Assis, M., de Souza Pereira, F. R., Spanner, G., Higuchi, N. & Ometto, J. P., Jan 2021, In: Global Change Biology. 27, 1, p. 177-189 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Tighten the Bolts and Nuts on GPP Estimations from Sites to the Globe: An Assessment of Remote Sensing Based LUE Models and Supporting Data Fields
Wang, Z., Liu, S., Wang, Y.-P., Valbuena, R., Wu, Y., Kutia, M., Zheng, Y., Lu, W., Zhu, Y., Zhao, M., Peng, X., Gao, H., Feng, S. & Shi, Y., 6 Jan 2021, In: Remote Sensing. 13, 2, 168.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Recovery of logged forest fragments in a human-modified tropical landscape during the 2015-16 El Niño
Nunes, M. H., Jucker, T., Riutta, T., Svátek, M., Kvasnica, J., Rejžek, M., Matula, R., Majalap, N., Ewers, R. M., Swinfield, T., Valbuena, R., Vaughn, N. R., Asner, G. P. & Coomes, D. A., 9 Mar 2021, In: Nature Communications. 12, 1, p. 1526Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Analysis of Mediterranean Vegetation Fuel Type Changes Using Multitemporal LiDAR
García-Cimarras, A., Manzanera, J. A. & Valbuena, R., 12 Mar 2021, In: Forests. 12, 3Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Concerns about reported harvests in European forests
Palahí, M., Valbuena, R., Senf, C., Acil, N., Pugh, T. A. M., Sadler, J., Seidl, R., Potapov, P., Gardiner, B., Hetemäki1, L., Chirici, G., Francini, S., Hlásny, T., Lerink, B. J. W., Olsson, H., Olabarria, J. R. G., Ascoli, D., Asikainen, A., Bauhus, J., Berndes, G., Donis, J., Fridman, J., Hanewinkel, M., Jactel, H., Lindner, M., Marchetti, M., Marušák, R., Sheil, D., Tomé, M., Trasobares, A., Verkerk, P. J., Korhonen, M. & Nabuurs, G.-J., 29 Apr 2021, In: Nature. 592, 7856, p. E15-E17Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Determining maximum entropy in 3D remote sensing height distributions and using it to improve aboveground biomass modelling via stratification
Adnan, S., Maltamo, M., Mehtätalo, L., Ammaturo, R. N. L., Packalen, P. & Valbuena, R., Jul 2021, In: Remote Sensing of Environment. 260, p. 112464 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Beyond trees: Mapping total aboveground biomass density in the Brazilian savanna using high-density UAV-lidar data
Costa, M. B. T. D., Silva, C. A., Broadbent, E. N., Leite, R. V., Mohan, M., Liesenberg, V., Stoddart, J., Amaral, C. H. D., Almeida, D. R. A. D., Silva, A. L. D., Goya, L. R. R. Y., Cordeiro, V. A., Rex, F., Hirsch, A., Marcatti, G. E., Cardil, A., Mendonça, B. A. F. D., Hamamura, C., Corte, A. P. D., Matricardi, E. A. T., Hudak, A. T., Zambrano, A. M. A., Valbuena, R., Faria, B. L. D., Junior, C. H. L. S., Aragao, L., Ferreira, M. E., Liang, J., Carvalho, S. D. P. C. E. & Klauberg, C., 1 Jul 2021, In: Forest Ecology and Management. 491, p. 119155 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Global analysis of the relationship between reconstructed solar induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) and gross primary production (GPP)
Gao, H., Liu, S., Lu, W., Smith, A., Valbuena, R., Yan, W., Wang, Z., Xiao, L., Peng, X., Li, Q., Feng, Y., McDonald, M., Pagella, T., Liao, J., Wu, Z. & Zhang, G., 18 Jul 2021, In: Remote Sensing. 13, 14Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Monitoring restored tropical forest diversity and structure through UAV-borne hyperspectral and lidar fusion
Almeida, D. R. A. D., Broadbent, E. N., Ferreira, M. P., Meli, P., Zambrano, A. M. A., Gorgens, E. B., Resende, A. F., Almeida, C. T. D., Amaral, C. H. D., Corte, A. P. D., Silva, C. A., Romanelli, J. P., Prata, G. A., Papa, D. D. A., Stark, S. C., Valbuena, R., Nelson, B. W., Guillemot, J., Féret, J.-B., Chazdon, R. & Brancalion, P. H. S., Oct 2021, In: Remote Sensing of Environment. 264, 1 p., 112582.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Impacts of selective logging on Amazon forest canopy structure and biomass with a LiDAR and photogrammetric survey sequence
d'Oliveira, M. V. N., Figueiredo, E. O., Almeida, D. R. A. D., Oliveira, L. C., Silva, C. A., Nelson, B. W., Cunha, R. M. D., Papa, D. D. A., Stark, S. C. & Valbuena, R., 15 Nov 2021, In: Forest Ecology and Management. 500, 119648.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2022
- Published
Aboveground biomass density models for NASA’s Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) lidar mission
Duncanson, L., Kellner, J. R., Armston, J., Dubayah, R., Minor, D. M., Hancock, S., Healey, S. P., Patterson, P. L., Saarela, S., Marselis, S., Silva, C. E., Bruening, J., Goetz, S. J., Tang, H., Hofton, M., Blair, B., Luthcke, S., Fatoyinbo, L., Abernethy, K., Alonso, A., Andersen, H.-E., Aplin, P., Baker, T. R., Barbier, N., Bastin, J. F., Biber, P., Boeckx, P., Bogaert, J., Boschetti, L., Boucher, P. B., Boyd, D. S., Burslem, D. F. R. P., Calvo-Rodriguez, S., Chave, J., Chazdon, R. L., Clark, D. B., Clark, D. A., Cohen, W. B., Coomes, D. A., Corona, P., Cushman, K. C., Cutler, M. E. J., Dalling, J. W., Dalponte, M., Dash, J., de-Miguel, S., Deng, S., Ellis, P. W., Erasmus, B., Fekety, P. A., Fernandez-Landa, A., Ferraz, A., Fischer, R., Fisher, A. G., García-Abril, A., Gobakken, T., Hacker, J. M., Heurich, M., Hill, R. A., Hopkinson, C., Huang, H., Hubbell, S. P., Hudak, A. T., Huth, A., Imbach, B., Jeffery, K. J., Katoh, M., Kearsley, E., Kenfack, D., Kljun, N., Knapp, N., Král, K., Krůček, M., Labrière, N., Lewis, S. L., Longo, M., Lucas, R. M., Main, R., Manzanera, J. A., Martínez, R. V., Mathieu, R., Memiaghe, H., Meyer, V., Mendoza, A. M., Monerris, A., Montesano, P., Morsdorf, F., Næsset, E., Naidoo, L., Nilus, R., O’Brien, M., Orwig, D. A., Papathanassiou, K., Parker, G., Philipson, C., Phillips, O. L., Pisek, J., Poulsen, J. R., Pretzsch, H., Rüdiger, C., Saatchi, S., Sanchez-Azofeifa, A., Sanchez-Lopez, N., Scholes, R., Silva, C. A., Simard, M., Skidmore, A., Stereńczak, K., Tanase, M., Torresan, C., Valbuena, R., Verbeeck, H., Vrska, T., Wessels, K., White, J. C., White, L. J. T., Zahabu, E. & Zgraggen, C., 2022, In: Remote Sensing of Environment. 270Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Large scale multi-layer fuel load characterization in tropical savanna using GEDI spaceborne lidar data
Leite, R. V., Silva, C. A., Broadbent, E. N., Amaral, C. H. D., Liesenberg, V., Almeida, D. R. A. D., Mohan, M., Godinho, S., Cardil, A., Hamamura, C., Faria, B. L. D., Brancalion, P. H. S., Hirsch, A., Marcatti, G. E., Dalla Corte, A. P., Zambrano, A. M. A., Costa, M. B. T. D., Matricardi, E. A. T., Silva, A. L. D., Goya, L. R. R. Y., Valbuena, R., Mendonça, B. A. F. D., Silva Junior, C. H. L., Aragão, L. E. O. C., García, M., Liang, J., Merrick, T., Hudak, A. T., Xiao, J., Hancock, S., Duncason, L., Ferreira, M. P., Valle, D., Saatchi, S. & Klauberg, C., Jan 2022, In: Remote Sensing of Environment. 268, 112764.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
A Conceptual Model for Detecting Small-Scale Forest Disturbances Based on Ecosystem Morphological Traits
Stoddart, J., Almeida, D., Silva, C. A., Gorgens, E. B., Keller, M. & Valbuena, R., 15 Feb 2022, In: Remote Sensing. 14, 4Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2023
- Published
Vascular optimality dictates plant morphology away from Leonardo’s rule
Sopp, S. & Valbuena, R., Sept 2023, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America: PNAS. 120, 39, e2215047120.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Long-term satellite observations show continuous increase of vegetation growth enhancement in urban environment
Peng, X., Jiang, S., Liu, S., Valbuena, R., Smith, A., Zhan, Y., Shi, Y., Ning, Y., Feng, S., Gao, H. & Wang, Z., 10 Nov 2023, In: Science of the Total Environment. 898, 165515.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Continuous Cover Forestry and Remote Sensing : A Review of Knowledge Gaps, Challenges, and Potential Directions
Stoddart, J., Suarez, J., Mason, W. & Valbuena, R., Dec 2023, In: Current Forestry Reports. 9, 6, p. 490-501 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review