Dr Randall Donohue

My primary research areas are vegetation science and remote sensing. Using these expertise, I seek to better understand how vegetation changes in its structure and function, and what drives those changes. Current research includes prediction of crop yields, nation-wide and global estimation of pasture biomass, and using remote sensing for monitoring vegetation condition.

While at CSIRO, I have developed numerous remote-sensing-based models that quantify the role of vegetation in the water and carbon cycles of Australian landscapes:

• Snap and Scorch, satellite-based models for detecting frost and heatwave events across the Australian landscape at sub-paddock scales and in near-real-time (current).
• Compere, a relative performance benchmarking system for assessing the effects of management and disturbances on vegetation (Donohue et al., 2022. Ecosphere)
• Gramina, a simple, national grassland and pasture productivity monitoring system (current)
• C-Crop, a national, paddock-scale grain yield monitoring and prediction system (Donohue et al., 2018. Field Crops Research)
• PETA, that estimates the leaf area, water use and photosynthetic responses of vegetation to elevated CO₂ concentrations (Donohue et al., 2017. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences)
• DIFFUSE, a simple, diffuse-light-based method for estimating photosynthesis (Donohue et.al., 2014. Remote Sensing of Environment)
• BCP, an adaptation Budyko's hydrological model that incorporates the effects of storms, soil porosity and vegetation rooting depth (Donohue et al., 2012. Journal of Hydrology)

I undertook my PhD jointly with ANU and CSIRO Land and Water and graduated in 2010. Since 2007, I have been with CSIRO Land and Water conducting research in the fields of ecohydrology and remote sensing.

Prior to my PhD, I worked as a spatial analyst for the Australian and Tasmanian Governments and as a consultant in the private sector, involved primarily in the collation and analysis of vegetation data.