World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Discipline name D-Index World Ranking Current World Ranking National Ranking Current National Ranking Publications Citations
Ecology and Evolution 72 1252 1194 461 431 255 16139

Philip A. Townsend publications per year

The chart shows the history of publications by Philip A. Townsend between 1996 and 2025, highlighting the no. of papers published in each year and offering an overview of the publication velocity of this scholar. Philip A. Townsend published across 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, averaging 11.2 papers a year. Output peaked at 35 publications in 2023. 42 of the 337 publications appeared in the last two years.

No. of publications
10 20 30
Bar chart. Horizontal axis: year, 1996 to 2025. Vertical axis: number of publications, 0 to 35. Peak 35 publications in 2023. 1996: 2 publications 1997: 0 publications 1998: 1 publication 1999: 0 publications 2000: 2 publications 2001: 3 publications 2002: 8 publications 2003: 1 publication 2004: 3 publications 2005: 1 publication 2006: 4 publications 2007: 4 publications 2008: 7 publications 2009: 12 publications 2010: 2 publications 2011: 8 publications 2012: 8 publications 2013: 14 publications 2014: 7 publications 2015: 16 publications 2016: 14 publications 2017: 10 publications 2018: 21 publications 2019: 28 publications 2020: 28 publications 2021: 31 publications 2022: 25 publications 2023: 35 publications 2024: 19 publications 2025: 23 publications
1996 2025

337 publications in total across all disciplines

View publications per year as a table
Philip A. Townsend: publications per year, 1996 to 2025
Year Publications
1996 2
1997 0
1998 1
1999 0
2000 2
2001 3
2002 8
2003 1
2004 3
2005 1
2006 4
2007 4
2008 7
2009 12
2010 2
2011 8
2012 8
2013 14
2014 7
2015 16
2016 14
2017 10
2018 21
2019 28
2020 28
2021 31
2022 25
2023 35
2024 19
2025 23
Total 337
Download as CSV

Philip A. Townsend publication distribution in Ecology and Evolution in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Ecology and Evolution in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Philip A. Townsend sits on this spectrum.

No. of scientists
100 200 300
Bar chart with 100 bars. Horizontal axis: publications, 37–41 to 531+. Vertical axis: number of scientists, 0 to 333. Most scientists, 333, have 97–101 publications. The last bar groups every scientist with 531 publications or more. The highlighted bar, 252–256 publications, is where this scientist sits. 37–41 publications: 2 scientists 42–46 publications: 9 scientists 47–51 publications: 10 scientists 52–56 publications: 31 scientists 57–61 publications: 56 scientists 62–66 publications: 91 scientists 67–71 publications: 92 scientists 72–76 publications: 127 scientists 77–81 publications: 173 scientists 82–86 publications: 236 scientists 87–91 publications: 227 scientists 92–96 publications: 240 scientists 97–101 publications: 333 scientists 102–106 publications: 280 scientists 107–111 publications: 300 scientists 112–116 publications: 285 scientists 117–121 publications: 305 scientists 122–126 publications: 287 scientists 127–131 publications: 278 scientists 132–136 publications: 289 scientists 137–141 publications: 273 scientists 142–146 publications: 262 scientists 147–151 publications: 246 scientists 152–156 publications: 235 scientists 157–161 publications: 205 scientists 162–166 publications: 199 scientists 167–171 publications: 174 scientists 172–176 publications: 164 scientists 177–181 publications: 173 scientists 182–186 publications: 189 scientists 187–191 publications: 170 scientists 192–196 publications: 139 scientists 197–201 publications: 128 scientists 202–206 publications: 117 scientists 207–211 publications: 115 scientists 212–216 publications: 107 scientists 217–221 publications: 124 scientists 222–226 publications: 81 scientists 227–231 publications: 82 scientists 232–236 publications: 85 scientists 237–241 publications: 75 scientists 242–246 publications: 66 scientists 247–251 publications: 81 scientists 252–256 publications: 69 scientists 257–261 publications: 70 scientists 262–266 publications: 55 scientists 267–271 publications: 64 scientists 272–276 publications: 49 scientists 277–281 publications: 48 scientists 282–286 publications: 44 scientists 287–291 publications: 45 scientists 292–296 publications: 36 scientists 297–301 publications: 39 scientists 302–306 publications: 38 scientists 307–311 publications: 30 scientists 312–316 publications: 34 scientists 317–321 publications: 25 scientists 322–326 publications: 22 scientists 327–331 publications: 28 scientists 332–336 publications: 30 scientists 337–341 publications: 22 scientists 342–346 publications: 30 scientists 347–351 publications: 26 scientists 352–356 publications: 22 scientists 357–361 publications: 29 scientists 362–366 publications: 21 scientists 367–371 publications: 12 scientists 372–376 publications: 18 scientists 377–381 publications: 17 scientists 382–386 publications: 13 scientists 387–391 publications: 21 scientists 392–396 publications: 13 scientists 397–401 publications: 10 scientists 402–406 publications: 15 scientists 407–411 publications: 8 scientists 412–416 publications: 9 scientists 417–421 publications: 8 scientists 422–426 publications: 4 scientists 427–431 publications: 10 scientists 432–436 publications: 10 scientists 437–441 publications: 5 scientists 442–446 publications: 4 scientists 447–451 publications: 10 scientists 452–456 publications: 2 scientists 457–461 publications: 4 scientists 462–466 publications: 7 scientists 467–471 publications: 7 scientists 472–476 publications: 6 scientists 477–481 publications: 6 scientists 482–486 publications: 3 scientists 487–491 publications: 3 scientists 492–496 publications: 4 scientists 497–501 publications: 4 scientists 502–506 publications: 8 scientists 507–511 publications: 5 scientists 512–516 publications: 4 scientists 517–521 publications: 5 scientists 522–526 publications: 4 scientists 527–530 publications: 5 scientists 531+ publications: 100 scientists
37–41 publications 531+

This scientist: 255 publications — 86th percentile

86% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 531 publications or more.

View publications distribution as a table
Number of Ecology and Evolution scientists by publication count, Research.com 2026 ranking edition. Based on 8,381 ranked scientists.
Publications Scientists This scientist
37–41 2
42–46 9
47–51 10
52–56 31
57–61 56
62–66 91
67–71 92
72–76 127
77–81 173
82–86 236
87–91 227
92–96 240
97–101 333
102–106 280
107–111 300
112–116 285
117–121 305
122–126 287
127–131 278
132–136 289
137–141 273
142–146 262
147–151 246
152–156 235
157–161 205
162–166 199
167–171 174
172–176 164
177–181 173
182–186 189
187–191 170
192–196 139
197–201 128
202–206 117
207–211 115
212–216 107
217–221 124
222–226 81
227–231 82
232–236 85
237–241 75
242–246 66
247–251 81
252–256 69 255
257–261 70
262–266 55
267–271 64
272–276 49
277–281 48
282–286 44
287–291 45
292–296 36
297–301 39
302–306 38
307–311 30
312–316 34
317–321 25
322–326 22
327–331 28
332–336 30
337–341 22
342–346 30
347–351 26
352–356 22
357–361 29
362–366 21
367–371 12
372–376 18
377–381 17
382–386 13
387–391 21
392–396 13
397–401 10
402–406 15
407–411 8
412–416 9
417–421 8
422–426 4
427–431 10
432–436 10
437–441 5
442–446 4
447–451 10
452–456 2
457–461 4
462–466 7
467–471 7
472–476 6
477–481 6
482–486 3
487–491 3
492–496 4
497–501 4
502–506 8
507–511 5
512–516 4
517–521 5
522–526 4
527–530 5
531+ 100
Download as CSV

Philip A. Townsend D-index placement in Ecology and Evolution in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Ecology and Evolution scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Philip A. Townsend sits on this spectrum.

No. of scientists
50 100 150 200 250
Bar chart with 92 bars. Horizontal axis: D-Index, 30 to 121+. Vertical axis: number of scientists, 0 to 280. Most scientists, 280, have 40 D-Index. The last bar groups every scientist with 121 D-Index or more. The highlighted bar, 72 D-Index, is where this scientist sits. 30 D-Index: 95 scientists 31 D-Index: 123 scientists 32 D-Index: 191 scientists 33 D-Index: 245 scientists 34 D-Index: 252 scientists 35 D-Index: 244 scientists 36 D-Index: 249 scientists 37 D-Index: 244 scientists 38 D-Index: 254 scientists 39 D-Index: 254 scientists 40 D-Index: 280 scientists 41 D-Index: 274 scientists 42 D-Index: 266 scientists 43 D-Index: 233 scientists 44 D-Index: 248 scientists 45 D-Index: 208 scientists 46 D-Index: 201 scientists 47 D-Index: 213 scientists 48 D-Index: 207 scientists 49 D-Index: 172 scientists 50 D-Index: 209 scientists 51 D-Index: 199 scientists 52 D-Index: 153 scientists 53 D-Index: 169 scientists 54 D-Index: 163 scientists 55 D-Index: 148 scientists 56 D-Index: 120 scientists 57 D-Index: 146 scientists 58 D-Index: 137 scientists 59 D-Index: 140 scientists 60 D-Index: 104 scientists 61 D-Index: 119 scientists 62 D-Index: 118 scientists 63 D-Index: 99 scientists 64 D-Index: 77 scientists 65 D-Index: 100 scientists 66 D-Index: 86 scientists 67 D-Index: 83 scientists 68 D-Index: 75 scientists 69 D-Index: 94 scientists 70 D-Index: 57 scientists 71 D-Index: 68 scientists 72 D-Index: 59 scientists 73 D-Index: 63 scientists 74 D-Index: 66 scientists 75 D-Index: 60 scientists 76 D-Index: 42 scientists 77 D-Index: 49 scientists 78 D-Index: 39 scientists 79 D-Index: 37 scientists 80 D-Index: 43 scientists 81 D-Index: 41 scientists 82 D-Index: 45 scientists 83 D-Index: 34 scientists 84 D-Index: 40 scientists 85 D-Index: 35 scientists 86 D-Index: 55 scientists 87 D-Index: 24 scientists 88 D-Index: 24 scientists 89 D-Index: 30 scientists 90 D-Index: 23 scientists 91 D-Index: 25 scientists 92 D-Index: 27 scientists 93 D-Index: 27 scientists 94 D-Index: 13 scientists 95 D-Index: 23 scientists 96 D-Index: 12 scientists 97 D-Index: 14 scientists 98 D-Index: 19 scientists 99 D-Index: 16 scientists 100 D-Index: 14 scientists 101 D-Index: 5 scientists 102 D-Index: 21 scientists 103 D-Index: 16 scientists 104 D-Index: 10 scientists 105 D-Index: 7 scientists 106 D-Index: 7 scientists 107 D-Index: 7 scientists 108 D-Index: 6 scientists 109 D-Index: 9 scientists 110 D-Index: 11 scientists 111 D-Index: 12 scientists 112 D-Index: 9 scientists 113 D-Index: 7 scientists 114 D-Index: 3 scientists 115 D-Index: 8 scientists 116 D-Index: 5 scientists 117 D-Index: 11 scientists 118 D-Index: 4 scientists 119 D-Index: 2 scientists 120 D-Index: 5 scientists 121+ D-Index: 100 scientists
30 D-Index 121+

This scientist: 72 D-Index — 86th percentile

86% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 121 D-Index or more.

View D-Index distribution as a table
Number of Ecology and Evolution scientists by D-index, Research.com 2026 ranking edition. Based on 8,381 ranked scientists.
D-Index Scientists This scientist
30 95
31 123
32 191
33 245
34 252
35 244
36 249
37 244
38 254
39 254
40 280
41 274
42 266
43 233
44 248
45 208
46 201
47 213
48 207
49 172
50 209
51 199
52 153
53 169
54 163
55 148
56 120
57 146
58 137
59 140
60 104
61 119
62 118
63 99
64 77
65 100
66 86
67 83
68 75
69 94
70 57
71 68
72 59 72
73 63
74 66
75 60
76 42
77 49
78 39
79 37
80 43
81 41
82 45
83 34
84 40
85 35
86 55
87 24
88 24
89 30
90 23
91 25
92 27
93 27
94 13
95 23
96 12
97 14
98 19
99 16
100 14
101 5
102 21
103 16
104 10
105 7
106 7
107 7
108 6
109 9
110 11
111 12
112 9
113 7
114 3
115 8
116 5
117 11
118 4
119 2
120 5
121+ 100
Download as CSV

Overview

What is he best known for?

The fields of study he is best known for:

  • Ecology
  • Ecosystem
  • Biodiversity

Philip A. Townsend mainly investigates Remote sensing, Ecosystem, Canopy, Hydrology and Vegetation. His work in the fields of Remote sensing, such as Thematic Mapper and Remote sensing, intersects with other areas such as Radar imaging. To a larger extent, he studies Ecology with the aim of understanding Ecosystem.

His work focuses on many connections between Canopy and other disciplines, such as Photosynthetic capacity, that overlap with his field of interest in Temperate climate, Lignin, Nutrient cycle and Agronomy. His Hydrology research is multidisciplinary, relying on both Land cover and Urban heat island. His Vegetation research is multidisciplinary, incorporating elements of Similarity, Partial least squares regression, Imaging spectroscopy and Satellite imagery.

His most cited work include:

  • The Future of Evapotranspiration: Global requirements for ecosystem functioning, carbon and climate feedbacks, agricultural management, and water resources (243 citations)
  • Remote sensing change detection tools for natural resource managers: Understanding concepts and tradeoffs in the design of landscape monitoring projects (243 citations)
  • Modeling floodplain inundation using an integrated GIS with radar and optical remote sensing (219 citations)

What are the main themes of his work throughout his whole career to date?

Philip A. Townsend mostly deals with Remote sensing, Ecology, Ecosystem, Canopy and Vegetation. Remote sensing is represented through his Hyperspectral imaging, Remote sensing, Imaging spectroscopy, Satellite imagery and Thematic Mapper research. His Hyperspectral imaging study combines topics in areas such as Spectral bands and Partial least squares regression.

When carried out as part of a general Ecosystem research project, his work on Terrestrial ecosystem is frequently linked to work in Trait, therefore connecting diverse disciplines of study. He interconnects Photosynthetic capacity, Forest ecology and Atmospheric sciences in the investigation of issues within Canopy. Philip A. Townsend has included themes like Hydrology and Growing season in his Vegetation study.

He most often published in these fields:

  • Remote sensing (31.22%)
  • Ecology (27.80%)
  • Ecosystem (17.07%)

What were the highlights of his more recent work (between 2018-2021)?

  • Remote sensing (31.22%)
  • Ecosystem (17.07%)
  • Ecology (27.80%)

In recent papers he was focusing on the following fields of study:

Philip A. Townsend spends much of his time researching Remote sensing, Ecosystem, Ecology, Canopy and Imaging spectroscopy. His Remote sensing research incorporates themes from Optimal estimation, Partial least squares regression and Vegetation. The Ecosystem study combines topics in areas such as Biodiversity and Grassland.

His Productivity and Abundance study in the realm of Ecology connects with subjects such as Outbreak and Dendrochronology. His Canopy research incorporates elements of Integrated pest management, Temperate climate, Physical geography, Scale and Blowing a raspberry. In his study, Forestry, Quercus garryana, Scale, Leaf mass per area and Broadleaf forest is strongly linked to Lidar, which falls under the umbrella field of Imaging spectroscopy.

Between 2018 and 2021, his most popular works were:

  • Global photosynthetic capacity is optimized to the environment (56 citations)
  • Mapping foliar functional traits and their uncertainties across three years in a grassland experiment (33 citations)
  • Detecting prairie biodiversity with airborne remote sensing (25 citations)

In his most recent research, the most cited papers focused on:

  • Ecology
  • Ecosystem
  • Biodiversity

His scientific interests lie mostly in Remote sensing, Canopy, Biodiversity, Blight and Trait. His research in the fields of Imaging spectroscopy overlaps with other disciplines such as Earth observation. His Imaging spectroscopy research focuses on Forest ecology and how it relates to Hyperspectral imaging.

His research in Biodiversity intersects with topics in Agronomy, Caterpillar, Asclepias syriaca, Competition and Plant ecology. Within one scientific family, Philip A. Townsend focuses on topics pertaining to Pathogen under Blight, and may sometimes address concerns connected to Horticulture, Inoculation and Cultivar. His Ecosystem research is multidisciplinary, incorporating perspectives in Range and Atmospheric sciences.

Best Publications

  • The future of evapotranspiration: global requirements for ecosystem functioning, carbon and climate feedbacks, agricultural management, and water resources.

    Joshua B. Fisher;Forrest S. Melton;Elizabeth M. Middleton;Christopher Hain;Christopher Hain

  • Observing terrestrial ecosystems and the carbon cycle from space

    David Schimel;Ryan Pavlick;Joshua B. Fisher;Gregory P. Asner

  • Remote sensing change detection tools for natural resource managers: Understanding concepts and tradeoffs in the design of landscape monitoring projects

    Robert E. Kennedy;Philip A. Townsend;John E. Gross;Warren B. Cohen

  • Modeling floodplain inundation using an integrated GIS with radar and optical remote sensing

    Philip A. Townsend;Stephen J. Walsh

  • Spectroscopic determination of leaf morphological and biochemical traits for northern temperate and boreal tree species

    Shawn P. Serbin;Aditya Singh;Brenden E. McNeil;Clayton C. Kingdon

  • Changes in the extent of surface mining and reclamation in the Central Appalachians detected using a 1976-2006 Landsat time series

    Philip A. Townsend;David P. Helmers;Clayton C. Kingdon;Brenden E. McNeil

  • Integrating remote sensing with ecology and evolution to advance biodiversity conservation

    Unknown

  • Leaf optical properties reflect variation in photosynthetic metabolism and its sensitivity to temperature

    Shawn P. Serbin;Dylan N. Dillaway;Eric L. Kruger;Philip A. Townsend

  • NASA's surface biology and geology designated observable: A perspective on surface imaging algorithms

    Kerry Cawse-Nicholson;Philip A. Townsend;David Schimel;Ali M. Assiri

  • Plant spectral diversity integrates functional and phylogenetic components of biodiversity and predicts ecosystem function.

    Anna-Katharina Schweiger;Jeannine Cavender-Bares;Philip A Townsend;Sarah E Hobbie

  • Imaging spectroscopy algorithms for mapping canopy foliar chemical and morphological traits and their uncertainties

    Aditya Singh;Shawn P. Serbin;Brenden E. McNeil;Clayton C. Kingdon

  • Global photosynthetic capacity is optimized to the environment.

    Nicholas G. Smith;Nicholas G. Smith;Trevor F. Keenan;Trevor F. Keenan;I. Colin Prentice;Han Wang

  • Temperature-driven range expansion of an irruptive insect heightened by weakly coevolved plant defenses

    Kenneth F. Raffa;Erinn N. Powell;Philip A. Townsend

  • Remote Sensing of Plant Biodiversity

    Jeannine Cavender-Bares;John A. Gamon;John A. Gamon;Philip A. Townsend

  • Remote sensing of forested wetlands: Application of multitemporal and multispectral satellite imagery to determine plant community composition and structure in southeastern USA

    Philip A. Townsend;Stephen J. Walsh

  • Principles and Applications of Imaging Radar: Manual of Remote Sensing

    Philip A Townsend

  • Mapping Seasonal Flooding in Forested Wetlands Using Multi-Temporal Radarsat SAR

    Philip A. Townsend

  • Urban heat island impacts on plant phenology: intra-urban variability and response to land cover

    Samuel C Zipper;Jason Schatz;Aditya Singh;Christopher J Kucharik

  • Estimating the effect of gypsy moth defoliation using MODIS

    K. M. deBeurs;P. A. Townsend

  • Application of imaging spectroscopy to mapping canopy nitrogen in the forests of the central Appalachian Mountains using Hyperion and AVIRIS

    P.A. Townsend;J.R. Foster;R.A. Chastain;W.S. Currie

  • Relationships between forest structure and the detection of flood inundation in forested wetlands using C-band SAR

    P. A. Townsend

  • Estimation of forest structural parameters using 5 and 10 meter SPOT-5 satellite data

    Peter T. Wolter;Phillip A. Townsend;Brian R. Sturtevant

Frequent Co-Authors

Shawn P. Serbin
Shawn P. Serbin Brookhaven National Laboratory
John A. Gamon
John A. Gamon University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Jeannine Cavender-Bares
Jeannine Cavender-Bares University of Minnesota
Eric L. Kruger
Eric L. Kruger University of Wisconsin–Madison
Ankur R. Desai
Ankur R. Desai University of Wisconsin–Madison
Benjamin Zuckerberg
Benjamin Zuckerberg University of Wisconsin–Madison
Sarah E. Hobbie
Sarah E. Hobbie University of Minnesota
Brian R. Sturtevant
Brian R. Sturtevant US Forest Service
Kenneth F. Raffa
Kenneth F. Raffa University of Wisconsin–Madison
Joshua B. Fisher
Joshua B. Fisher Chapman University

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

Studying Ecology and Evolution in the USA can open the door to various interdisciplinary career paths. Many students pursue related online degrees to gain specialized skills or shift into new areas, such as environmental science, public health, or biology education. Flexible online programs can cater to those already working or managing other commitments.

When comparing online options, it’s important to consider factors like accreditation, program flexibility, and student support. For example, if you’re weighing nursing pathways, reviewing capella university vs wgu rn to bsn can offer insights into institution quality and learning formats. Some students in biology or environmental fields look to build advanced credentials through programs like bsn to msn online programs, which can boost career advancement and specialization.

Choosing a reputable institution is key. Many opt for non profit online universities due to their strong accreditation and focus on student outcomes. Additionally, those with military backgrounds or obligations may find tailored support and flexibility at the best military friendly colleges.

Best Scientists Citing Philip A. Townsend

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles