World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Environmental Sciences

D-Index
65
Citations
27135
World Ranking
2151
National Ranking
873

Overview

Douglas C. Morton is affiliated with the Goddard Space Flight Center in the United States and has contributed extensively to the field of Environmental Science. The main focus of Morton's research includes fire effects on ecosystems, remote sensing in agriculture, and applications of remote sensing and LiDAR technology.

Their work spans multiple subfields such as Global and Planetary Change, Ecology, Environmental Engineering, Nature and Landscape Conservation, and Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality. Within these areas, Morton has conducted investigations related to atmospheric and environmental gas dynamics, plant water relations and carbon dynamics, conservation and biodiversity management, and forest ecology and management.

Morton's recent publications include studies published in various scientific journals. Notable papers are:

  • The gathering firestorm in southern Amazonia, 2020, Science Advances
  • Deforestation-induced climate change reduces carbon storage in remaining tropical forests, 2022, Nature Communications
  • The role of fire in global forest loss dynamics, 2021, Global Change Biology
  • Storm surge and ponding explain mangrove dieback in southwest Florida following Hurricane Irma, 2021, Nature Communications
  • Multi-decadal trends and variability in burned area from the fifth version of the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED5), 2023, Earth System Science Data

Morton's research has appeared frequently in the following publication venues:

  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
  • Remote Sensing of Environment
  • Remote Sensing
  • Science Advances
  • Nature Communications

Throughout their career, Morton has collaborated with several researchers, with frequent co-authors including:

  • James T. Randerson
  • Yang Chen
  • Bruce D. Cook
  • Guido R. van der Werf
  • Paulo Brando

The scientist's research contributes to understanding the role of fire in ecosystems, the effects of deforestation on carbon storage, and the use of remote sensing methods to monitor environmental changes in tropical and global contexts.

Best Publications

  • Global fire emissions and the contribution of deforestation, savanna, forest, agricultural, and peat fires (1997-2009)

    G. R. van der Werf;J. T. Randerson;L. Giglio;L. Giglio;G. J. Collatz

  • Global fire emissions estimates during 1997–2016

    Guido R. van der Werf;James T. Randerson;Louis Giglio;Thijs T. van Leeuwen

  • CO 2 emissions from forest loss

    G. R. van der Werf;D. C. Morton;R. S. DeFries;J. G. J. Olivier

  • Cropland expansion changes deforestation dynamics in the southern Brazilian Amazon

    Douglas C. Morton;Ruth S. DeFries;Yosio E. Shimabukuro;Liana O. Anderson

  • A human-driven decline in global burned area

    N. Andela;N. Andela;D. C. Morton;L. Giglio;Y Chen

  • Global burned area and biomass burning emissions from small fires

    J. T. Randerson;Y. Chen;G. R. van der Werf;B. M. Rogers

  • Abrupt increases in Amazonian tree mortality due to drought-fire interactions.

    Paulo Monteiro Brando;Paulo Monteiro Brando;Jennifer K. Balch;Daniel C. Nepstad;Douglas C. Morton

  • Brazil's Soy Moratorium

    H. K. Gibbs;L. Rausch;J. Munger;I. Schelly

  • Decoupling of deforestation and soy production in the southern Amazon during the late 2000s

    Marcia N. Macedo;Ruth S. DeFries;Douglas C. Morton;Claudia M. Stickler

  • Assessing variability and long-term trends in burned area by merging multiple satellite fire products

    L. Giglio;L. Giglio;J. T. Randerson;G. R. van der Werf;P. S. Kasibhatla

  • Amazon forests maintain consistent canopy structure and greenness during the dry season

    Douglas C. Morton;Jyoteshwar Nagol;Claudia C. Carabajal;Jacqueline Rosette

  • Climate regulation of fire emissions and deforestation in equatorial Asia

    G. R. van der Werf;J. Dempewolf;S. N. Trigg;J. T. Randerson

  • Estimating the world's potentially available cropland using a bottom-up approach

    Eric Lambin;Eric Lambin;H.K. Gibbs;L. Ferreira;R. Grau

  • Effect of oil palm sustainability certification on deforestation and fire in Indonesia.

    Kimberly M. Carlson;Robert Heilmayr;Holly K. Gibbs;Praveen Noojipady

  • The Global Fire Atlas of individual fire size, duration, speed and direction

    Niels Andela;Niels Andela;Douglas C. Morton;Louis Giglio;Ronan Paugam

  • Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART 5) for modeling airborne and satellite spectroradiometer and LIDAR acquisitions of natural and urban landscapes

    J.P. Gastellu Etchegorry;T. Yin;N. Lauret;T. Cajgfinger

  • Regional ecosystem structure and function: ecological insights from remote sensing of tropical forests.

    Jeffrey Q. Chambers;Gregory P. Asner;Douglas C. Morton;Liana O. Anderson

  • Validation of GOES and MODIS active fire detection products using ASTER and ETM+ data

    Wilfrid Schroeder;Elaine Prins;Louis Giglio;Ivan Csiszar

  • NASA Goddards LiDAR, Hyperspectral and Thermal (G-LiHT) Airborne Imager

    Bruce D. Cook;Lawrence A. Corp;Ross F. Nelson;Elizabeth M. Middleton

  • Beyond 3-D: The New Spectrum of Lidar Applications for Earth and Ecological Sciences

    Jan U.H. Eitel;Bernhard Höfle;Lee A. Vierling;Antonio Abellán

  • Daily and 3‐hourly variability in global fire emissions and consequences for atmospheric model predictions of carbon monoxide

    M. Mu;J. T. Randerson;G. R. van der Werf;L. Giglio

Frequent Co-Authors

Michael Keller
Michael Keller US Forest Service
Bruce D. Cook
Bruce D. Cook Goddard Space Flight Center
James T. Randerson
James T. Randerson University of California, Irvine
Ruth S. DeFries
Ruth S. DeFries Columbia University
Louis Giglio
Louis Giglio University of Maryland, College Park
Marcos Longo
Marcos Longo Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Prasad S. Kasibhatla
Prasad S. Kasibhatla Duke University
Yosio Edemir Shimabukuro
Yosio Edemir Shimabukuro National Institute for Space Research
Paulo M. Brando
Paulo M. Brando University of California, Irvine
Jean-Philippe Gastellu-Etchegorry
Jean-Philippe Gastellu-Etchegorry Federal University of Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

For students passionate about Environmental Sciences, exploring related online degrees can open diverse career opportunities. Many choose to advance their education with specialized programs such as an online ed d programs without dissertation, which offer flexibility while focusing on leadership in education and environmental policy development.

Those aiming for top-tier credentials might consider the best online eds to edd programs, known for combining rigorous coursework with practical experience. These programs prepare graduates for roles in academic administration and community program leadership.

For professionals interested in the social dimensions of environmental issues, pursuing the cheapest dsw program can be a strategic choice. It provides crucial expertise for addressing environmental justice and social welfare in ecological contexts.

Additionally, an affordable online general studies degree offers a versatile foundation, allowing students to tailor their learning toward environmental policy, science, or sustainability. This flexibility supports varied career pathways in public and private sectors.

Best Scientists Citing Douglas C. Morton

Trending Scientists