John M. Kovacs PhD (Western Ontario)
  Professor & Chair, Geography-Environmental Earth Sciences

  Adjunct Research Professor, University of Western Ontario          

                                                                                          

Contact:

  Department of Geography, Nipissing University

  100 College Drive, North Bay, Ontario
   P1B 8L7, CANADA

 

   johnmk@nipissingu.ca

   Office R215, Lab R220

   tel: (705) 474-3461 ext.4336 

   fax: (705) 474-1947

 

                          Photo: In Mexico with my former summer assistant

                                  Josh King (left), now completing his PhD (Waterloo),

                                  and my current co-supervised PhD student (UWO)

                                  Francisco Flores de Santiago (right).

 

 

   My research interests include environmental monitoring/modeling, local ecological knowledge and approaches for assessing coastal resources of tropical regions.  Currently my work has focused on the use of various Earth Observing Satellites to map and monitor mangrove forests (tropical coastal wetlands).  I have worked extensively with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Dr. Flores-Verdugo) and recently initiated collaborative projects with the National University of Singapore (Geography, Dr. Lu) and with East Tennessee State University (Geoscience, Dr. Zhang).  Locally I have interests in working with farmers on the potential use of new geomatics technologies.  With my colleagues and the Northeastern Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association we have managed to establish five local weather stations on farms located in Verner, Sturgeon Falls, Belle Valle, Charlton and Temiskaming Shores.  I also maintain the remote sensing laboratory (NEOL) at Nipissing (R220).

 

Recent funding/Awards:

Recipient, The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research (Nipissing University) 

2002-      Individual Discovery Grant (Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council), PI

2011-14 Emerging Technology Program (Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation), Co-PI with Dan Walters

2007-11 Advanced Land Observing Satellite Research and Application Project (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency),

              PI-(Dr.X.X.Lu)

 

Professional service (recent):

  Chair, Department of Geography

  Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Adjudicator for Biological Sciences Division (2012-13) 

  Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council, Grant Selection Committee 186-Earth Sciences & Ecology (2008-11)

  Journal Referee-Aquatic Conservation; Biotropica; Canadian Journal of Forest Research; Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing; Ciencias Marinas;

                 Economic Botany; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring & Assessment; European Journal of Forest Research;

                 Hydrological Processes; Indian Journal of Marine Science; IEEE Journal Selected Topics Applied Earth Observation & Remote Sensing;

                 Interciencia; International Journal of Remote Sensing; International Journal of Applied Earth Observation & Geoinformation; ISPRS Journal

                 of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing; Journal of Coastal Research; Journal of Forest Research; Journal of Mountain Science; Landscape

                 & Urban Planning; Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing; Remote Sensing of Environment; Society & Ecology; Wetlands Ecology

                 & Management; Wetlands

 

Supervision (graduate/undergraduate):

  I will be looking for potential applicants for our new Masters of Environmental Science starting the fall of 2012. For those interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in geography with me I can co-supervise you through the University of Western Ontario (UWO) as I am a member of their School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.  As for undergraduate students I will hire at least one NSERC summer student (~$6,500/summer) who is interested in pursuing graduate studies.   

 

Current Graduate Students

F. Flores-de-Santiago                  BSc & MSc (UABC) Ph.D. (co-supervised at UWO)

Jeff Cable                                    BSc (Nipissing) M.E.Sc. 

Autumn Gambles                         BSc, BA, BEd (Nipissing) M.Sc. (co-supervised at UWO)

Jeff Wilson                                   BA, BEd (Nipissing) M.E.Sc.

 

Publications (*student):

 

Zhang, C. and J.M. Kovacs. (accepted-minor revisions) The application of small unmanned aerial systems for precision

       agriculture: A review. Precision Agriculture

 

Flores-de-Santiago*, F., Kovacs, J.M. and P. LaFrance (forthcoming) An object-oriented classification method for mapping

       mangroves in Guinea, West Africa, using multipolarized ALOS PALSAR L-band data.  International Journal of Remote

       Sensing

 

Zhang, C., Liu, Y., Kovacs, J.M., Flores-Verdugo, F., Flores-de-Santiago*, F. and K. Chen (2012) Spectral response to

       varying levels of leaf pigments collected from a degraded mangrove forest. Journal of Applied Remote Sensing 6 (063501):          1-14. (doi:10.1117/1.JRS.6.063501)

 

Flores-de-Santiago*, F., Kovacs, J.M. and F. Flores-Verdugo (2012) Assessing seasonal changes in leaf Chlorophyll-a

       content and leaf morphology in a sub-tropical mangrove forest of the Mexican Pacific.

       Marine Ecology Progress Series 444: 57-68. (doi:10.3354/meps09474)

 

Kovacs, J. M. Liu, Y., Zhang, C., Flores-Verdugo, F., and F. Flores-de-Santiago* (2011) A field based statistical

       approach for validating a remotely sensed mangrove forest classification scheme. Wetlands Ecology and Management

       19: 409-421. (doi:10.1007/s11273-011-9225-3)

 

Rocío-Hernández, M., Flores-Verdugo, F., Kovacs, J.M. and F. Abarca (2011) Manglares. In: Ambiente, Biología,

       Manejo y Legislación de Ambientes Costeros Mexicanos, G. de la Lanza-Espino and S. Hernandez-Pulido (Eds.),

       Universidad  Nicolaita de Michoacan de Hidalgo Press, Mexico, pp. 279-300.

 

Lu, X.X., Kovacs, J. M., Zhang, C., Lafrance, P. and F. Flores-de-Santiago* (2011) Applications of ALOS PALSAR data for

       mangrove monitoring and mapping: Examples from Mexico & Africa. Report PI No 423 Japan Aerospace & Exploration

       Agency (6 pgs)

 

Kovacs, J. M., Flores-de-Santiago*, F., Bastien, J. and P. Lafrance (2010) An assessment of mangroves in Guinea,

       West Africa, using a field and remote sensing based approach. Wetlands 30: 773-782. (doi:10.1007/s13157-010-0065-3)

 

Kovacs, J. M., King, J. M. L., Flores-de-Santiago*, F. and F. Flores-Verdugo (2009) Evaluating the condition of a

       mangrove forest of the Mexican Pacific based on an estimated leaf area index mapping approach.

       Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 157: 137-149. (doi:10.1007/s10661-008-0523-z)

 

Kovacs, J. M., Zhang, C., and F. Flores-Verdugo (2008) Mapping the condition of mangroves of the Mexican Pacific using

       C-band ENVISAT ASAR and Landsat optical data. Ciencias Marinas 34: 407-418.

      

Walters, B. B., Ronnback, P., Kovacs, J. M., Crona, B., Hussain, A., Badola, R., Primavera, J., Barbier, E. and F. Dahdouh

       -Guebas (2008) Ethnobiology, socio-economics and management of mangroves: A review. Aquatic Botany 89:

       220-236. (doi:10.1016/j.aquabot.2008.02.009)

 

Kovacs, J. M., Vandenberg*, C. V., Wang, J. and F. Flores-Verdugo (2008) The use of multipolarized spaceborne SAR

       backscatter for monitoring the health of a degraded mangrove forest. Journal of Coastal Research 24: 248-254.

       (doi:10.2112/06-0660.1)

 

Chen, K., Kennedy, J. Kovacs, J. M. and C. Zhang (2007) A spatial perspective for predicting enrolment in a regional

       pharmacy school. GeoJournal 70: 133-143.   (doi:10.1007/s10708-008-9120-5)

 

Flores de Santiago*, F. J., Santamaría-del-Ángel, E., González-Silvera, A., Martínez-Díaz-de-León, A., Millán-Núñez, R., and

       J. M. Kovacs (2007) Assessing dynamic micro-regions in the Great Islands of the Gulf of California based on

       MODIS aqua imagery products. Proceedings of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers Vol. 6680

       (doi:10.1117/12.732574)

 

Kovacs, J. M. and X.X. Lu (2007) Assessing forest change associated with sediment modifications for large tropical

       estuaries using ALOS PALSAR data. Proc. 1st Joint PI Symposium of ALOS Data Nodes for ALOS Science Program,

       Japan Aerospace & Exploration Agency: CD -4 pgs.

 

Kovacs, J. M., Vandenberg*, C. V. and F. Flores-Verdugo (2006) Assessing fine beam RADARSAT-1 backscatter from a

       white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa (Gaertner)) canopy. Wetlands Ecology and Management 14: 401-408.

       (doi:10.1007/s11273-005-6237-x)

 

Flores-Verdugo, F., Benitez-Pardo, D., Agraz-Hernandez, C. and J. M. Kovacs (2006) Manejo, conservacion y restauracion        de ecosistemas de manglar. In: Atlas del Manejo y Conservacion de la Biodiversidad y Ecosystemas de Sinaloa.

       Cifuentes-Lemus, J. L., Gaxiola Lopez, J. (Eds.)El Colegio de Sinaloa, Sinaloa, Mexico, pp. 11-19.

 

Kovacs, J. M., Wang, J. and F. Flores-Verdugo (2005) Mapping mangrove leaf area index at the species level using

       IKONOS and LAI-2000 sensors for the Agua Brava Lagoon, Mexican Pacific. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 62:

       377-384. (doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2004.09.027)

 

Kovacs, J. M., Vandenberg*, C. V. and J. Wang (2005) SAR backscatter from a degraded white mangrove forest using

       multipolarization ENVISAT data. Proc. 26^th Canadian Symp. Remote Sensing, Canadian Aeronautics and Space

       Institute: CD -4 pgs.

 

Kovacs, J. M., Malczewski, J. and F. Flores-Verdugo (2004) Examining local ecological knowledge of hurricane impacts in a

       mangrove forest using an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach. Journal of Coastal Research 20: 792-800.

       (doi:10.2112/1551-5036(2004)20[792:ELEKOH]2.0.CO;2)

 

Kovacs, J. M., Flores-Verdugo, F., Wang, J. and L. P. Aspden* (2004) Estimating leaf area index of a degraded mangrove

       Forest using high spatial resolution satellite imagery. Aquatic Botany 80: 13-22.

       (doi:10.1016/j.aquabot.2004.06.001)

 

Kovacs, J. M., Aspden*, L. P., Vandenberg*, C. and T. A. Archer* (2003) Combined use of the LAI-2000 Plant Canopy

       Analyzer and IKONOS Imagery for mapping Leaf Area Index of white mangrove. Proc. 25th Canadian Symp. Remote

       Sensing, Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute: CD -4 pgs.

 

Archer*, T. A., Kovacs, J. M. and L. P. Aspden* (2003) Monitoring the decline of a tropical forested wetland of the Teacapan

       estuarine system, Mexico. Proc. 25th Canadian Symp. Remote Sensing, Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute:

       CD -5 pgs.

 

May*, D., Wang, J., Kovacs, J. M. and M. Muter (2003) Mapping wetland extent using IKONOS Satellite Imagery of the

       O’Donnell Point Region, Georgian Bay, Ontario. Proc. 25th Canadian Symp.Remote Sensing, Canadian Aeronautics and

       Space Institute: CD -9 pgs.

 

Kovacs, J. M., Wang, J. and M. Blanco-Correa (2001) Mapping mangrove disturbances using multi-date Landsat TM

       imagery. Environmental Management 27: 763-776.

       (doi:10.1007/s002670010186)

 

Kovacs, J. M., Blanco-Correa, M. and F. Flores-Verdugo (2001) A logistic regression model of hurricane impacts in a

       mangrove forest of the Mexican Pacific. Journal of Coastal Research 17: 30-37.

 

Kovacs, J. M. (2000) Perceptions of environmental change in a tropical coastal wetland. Land Degradation & Development

       11: 209-220. (doi:10.1002/1099-145X(200005/06)11:3<209::AID-LDR378>3.0.CO;2-Y)

 

Kovacs, J. M., Wang, J. and M. Blanco-Correa (2000) Verifying salinity impacts on a tropical forested wetland. Proc. 22nd

       Canadian Symp. Remote Sensing, Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute: 693-699.

 

Kovacs, J. M. (1999) Assessing mangrove use at the local scale. Landscape and Urban Planning 43: 201-208.

         (doi:10.1016/S0169-2046(98)00106-6)