Ruben Valbuena

Ruben Valbuena is a Professor at Bangor University, affiliated with the School of Natural Sciences and the Department of Forest Sciences. He is also recognized as an Honorary Professor, reflecting his significant contributions to forest science and remote sensing. His research leverages big data, particularly LiDAR and remote sensing, to analyze ecosystem structure, carbon stocks, and habitat suitability at landscape and community levels.

His research interests lie at the intersection of ecology, remote sensing, and forest dynamics. He has pioneered the adaptation of Lorenz curves to quantify forest structural complexity, a methodological innovation recognized with the IUFRO 2019 Outstanding Doctoral Research Award. His work spans tropical and boreal forests, focusing on aboveground biomass estimation, forest disturbance detection, and ecosystem service modeling. He actively integrates airborne and satellite data, including NASA's GEDI mission, to develop scalable ecological models.

The recent publications (2017–2023) reflect a consistent focus on LiDAR applications, forest structure, biomass modeling, and ecological theory. Key themes include the fusion of remote sensing technologies, the development of structural complexity indices, and the application of machine learning in forest inventory. His research increasingly addresses global challenges such as carbon monitoring, urban greening, and sustainable forest management.

His scientific honors include:

• International Union of Forest Researchers (IUFRO) Outstanding Doctoral Research Award (2019)
• Early-Stage Researcher Prize “José L. Labrandero” (2017)

Valbuena leads multiple research projects, including the European Forest Information Network (EFINET), AMAZECO (focused on Amazon ecosystem structure), and a KESS II PhD project with Forest Research. He has supervised at least one research student and maintains active collaborations across Europe and the Americas. His work is supported by grants from national and international funding bodies, enabling high-impact research in forest ecology and remote sensing.

He is associated with key research initiatives and labs focused on remote sensing and forest ecosystem dynamics, contributing to large-scale projects that integrate field data with satellite and airborne observations.