dr. F (Francisco) Pinto Espinosa

I am an ecophysiologist specialized in remote sensing of vegetation. I am interested in understanding the complex interactions between crops and their environment at different spatio-temporal scales by using sensors and remote sensing techniques. Plants adapt to the environment by dynamically modifying their morphology and functioning. Processes such as photosynthesis or growth are regulated and vary in space and time depending on the scale of interest. For instance, photosynthesis is regulated differently at the molecular, leaf or canopy level. However, there are still knowledge gaps that prevent us from translating our understanding from one scale to another. In this context, the use of sensors and remote sensing platforms (e.g. UAVs) can help to close these gaps by quantifying the dynamics of physiological processes and the environment across different scales.

Remote sensing of photosynthesis:

Part of my research focuses in the use of remote sensing proxies (e.g. thermography and spectroscopy) for integrative estimations of photosynthetic-related traits at crop canopy and larger scales (e.g. regional or global). In particular, I have vast experience in working with the passive measurement of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), a signal that has emerged as a potential proxy to remotely quantify spatio-temporal dynamics of photosynthetic efficiency. I am interested in exploiting SIF to quantify radiation use efficiency (RUE) and to understand adaptation mechanisms of photosynthesis to abiotic stress at crop level.