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Dr. Zhao’s research centers on understanding and managing terrestrial environments, especially in the face of global environmental changes. He uses a variety of tools like geotechnology, spatial analysis, machine learning, and ecological modeling to study ecosystems and how they respond to disturbances and climate change. Some of his research questions include measuring carbon storage in forests, identifying disturbed ecosystems, mapping vegetation from the air, and predicting the impact of climate change on crops. Dr. Zhao is particularly focused on developing geospatial tools, like hyperspectral imaging, lidar, machine learning, spatial models, and watershed models, to study ecosystem structure and function.