Profile for Niti Mishra
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Niti Mishra
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Professor
Geography & Environmental Science
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Niti Mishra Pronouns: He/Him/His
Professor
Geography & Environmental Science
Specialty area(s)
Environmental remote sensing; GIScience and geospatial data science; UAV LiDAR and photogrammetry; forest structure and vegetation dynamics; Himalayan ecology; glacier change; wetland and freshwater habitats.
Brief biography
I am a Professor of Geography and Environmental Science and a geospatial scientist working at the intersection of environmental remote sensing, geospatial data science, and ecological analysis. My research integrates field observations, UAV-based LiDAR and imagery, RTK/GNSS surveys, and satellite Earth observation to investigate landscape change and ecosystem structure across scales. Using statistical, spatial, and machine learning approaches, I analyze complex geospatial data to address questions related to forest and habitat structure, treeline and alpine ecology, glacier and terrain dynamics, aquatic invasive species, coldwater habitats, and climate-related environmental change. A defining theme of my work is cross-scale integration—linking field, drone, and spaceborne data to generate scientifically robust and decision-relevant insights for conservation, resource management, and environmental monitoring.
Education
Ph.D. in Geography, The University of Texas at Austin
M.S. in Remote Sensing, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
Career
Teaching history
I have taught at UW–La Crosse since 2015, with a focus on GIScience, remote sensing, map design, drone applications, and environmental conservation. My courses combine concepts in geography and environmental science with practical experience in spatial analysis, image interpretation, field data collection, and scientific communication. I supervise student research using satellite and UAV observations and lead field-based study abroad in Nepal.
Professional history
2025–present: Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.
2020–2025: Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.
2015–2020: Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.
June 2014–July 2015: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Geography and the Environment, The University of Texas at Austin.
Research and publishing
Journal articles
Mishra, N. B. (2026). Beyond greenness: Combining MODIS vegetation trajectories and GEDI canopy structure to reveal contrasting structural states across the Hindu Kush Himalaya. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 153, 105586
Mishra, N. B., & Chaudhuri, G. (2026). Where Himalayan Forests Are More (or Less) Complex than Their Height Suggests: An Uncertainty-Aware GEDI Indicator for Monitoring and Management. Remote Sensing, 18(8), 1222
Mishra, N. B., & Singh, P. B. (2026). Mountains of error: UAV LiDAR benchmarking of GEDI and GEDI-derived global canopy height products in steep Himalayan forests. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 147, 105203
Mishra, N. B., & Singh, P. B. (2026). Reading the Himalayan Treeline in 3D: Species Turnover and Structural Thresholds from UAV LiDAR. Remote Sensing, 18(2), 309
Mishra, N. B., Siepker, M. J., & Simmons, G. (2023). Applying High-Resolution Satellite and UAS Imagery for Detecting Coldwater Inputs in Temperate Streams of the Iowa Driftless Region. Remote Sensing, 15(18), 4445
Chaudhuri, G., & Mishra, N. B. (2023). Detection of Aquatic Invasive Plants in Wetlands of the Upper Mississippi River from UAV Imagery Using Transfer Learning. Remote Sensing, 15(3), 734
Mishra, N. B., Miles, E. S., Chaudhuri, G., Mainali, K. P., Mal, S., Singh, P. B., & Tiruwa, B. (2022). Quantifying heterogeneous monsoonal melt on a debris-covered glacier in Nepal Himalaya using repeat uncrewed aerial system (UAS) photogrammetry. Journal of Glaciology, 68(268), 288–304
Chaudhuri, G., Mainali, K. P., & Mishra, N. B. (2022). Analyzing the dynamics of urbanization in Delhi National Capital Region in India using satellite image time-series analysis. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 49(1), 368–384
Polk, M. H., Mishra, N. B., Young, K. R., & Mainali, K. (2020). Greening and Browning Trends across Peru’s Diverse Environments. Remote Sensing, 12(15), 2418
Mishra, N. B., Mainali, K. P., Shrestha, B. B., Radenz, J., & Karki, D. (2018). Species-Level Vegetation Mapping in a Himalayan Treeline Ecotone Using Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Imagery. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 7(11), 445
Mishra, N. B., & Mainali, K. P. (2017). Greening and browning of the Himalaya: Spatial patterns and the role of climatic change and human drivers. Science of the Total Environment, 587–588, 326–339
Mishra, N. B., Mainali, K. P., & Crews, K. A. (2016). Modelling spatiotemporal variability in fires in semiarid savannas: a satellite-based assessment around Africa’s largest protected area. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 25(7), 730–741
Hill, M. J., Zhou, Q., Sun, Q., Schaaf, C. B., Southworth, J., Mishra, N. B., Gibbes, C., Bunting, E., Christiansen, T. B., & Crews, K. A. (2016). Dynamics of the relationship between NDVI and SWIR32 vegetation indices in southern Africa: implications for retrieval of fractional cover from MODIS data. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 37(6), 1476–1503
Chaudhuri, G., & Mishra, N. B. (2016). Spatio-temporal dynamics of land cover and land surface temperature in Ganges-Brahmaputra delta: A comparative analysis between India and Bangladesh. Applied Geography, 68, 68–83
Mishra, N. B., Crews, K. A., Neeti, N., Meyer, T., & Young, K. R. (2015). MODIS derived vegetation greenness trends in African Savanna: Deconstructing and localizing the role of changing moisture availability, fire regime and anthropogenic impact. Remote Sensing of Environment, 169, 192–204
Mishra, N. B., Crews, K. A., Miller, J. A., & Meyer, T. (2015). Mapping Vegetation Morphology Types in Southern Africa Savanna Using MODIS Time-Series Metrics: A Case Study of Central Kalahari, Botswana. Land, 4(1), 197–215
Mishra, N. B., & Chaudhuri, G. (2015). Spatio-temporal analysis of trends in seasonal vegetation productivity across Uttarakhand, Indian Himalayas, 2000–2014. Applied Geography, 56, 29–41
Mishra, N. B., & Crews, K. A. (2014). Estimating fractional land cover in semi-arid central Kalahari: the impact of mapping method (spectral unmixing vs. object-based image analysis) and vegetation morphology. Geocarto International, 29(8), 860–877
Mishra, N. B., & Crews, K. A. (2014). Mapping vegetation morphology types in a dry savanna ecosystem: integrating hierarchical object-based image analysis with Random Forest. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 35(3), 1175–1198
Mishra, N. B., Crews, K. A., & Okin, G. S. (2014). Relating spatial patterns of fractional land cover to savanna vegetation morphology using multi-scale remote sensing in the Central Kalahari. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 35(6), 2082–2104
Mishra, N. B., Crews, K. A., & Neuenschwander, A. L. (2012). Sensitivity of EVI-based harmonic regression to temporal resolution in the lower Okavango Delta. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 33(24), 7703–7726
Book chapters and encyclopedia entries
Mishra, N. B., & Young, K. R. (2020). Savannas and Grasslands. In Terrestrial Ecosystems and Biodiversity (2nd ed., pp. 235–247). CRC Press
Mishra, N. B. (2020). Wetlands: Remote Sensing. In Wetlands and Habitats (2nd ed., pp. 201–212). CRC Press
Mishra, N. B., & Chaudhuri, G. (2016). Spatially Variable Vegetation Greenness Trends in Uttarakhand Himalayas in Response to Environmental Drivers. In Climate Change, Glacier Response, and Vegetation Dynamics in the Himalaya: Contributions Toward Future Earth Initiatives (pp. 365–376). Springer
Mishra, N. B., & Young, K. R. (2014). Savannas and Grasslands. In Encyclopedia of Natural Resources: Land (pp. 403–412). Taylor & Francis
Mishra, N. B. (2014). Wetlands: Remote Sensing. In Encyclopedia of Natural Resources: Land (pp. 566–574). Taylor & Francis
Conference contributions
Mishra, N. B., Siepker, M. J., & Simmons, G. (2022). Automated Detection of Coldwater Streams using High Resolution Commercial Satellite and Drone Imagery in the Mid-western United States. AGU Fall Meeting [Google Scholar title search]
Mishra, N., & Shrestha, B. (2018). Hierarchical Object Based Image Analysis of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) imagery for species level mapping of Himalayan treeline vegetation. GEOBIA 2018: From Pixels to Ecosystems and Global Sustainability [Google Scholar title search]
Mishra, N. B., & Mainali, K. P. (2016). Recent shifts in Himalayan vegetation activity trends in response to climatic change and environmental drivers. AGU Fall Meeting, GC22C-06
Mishra, N. B., & Chaudhuri, G. (2014). Spatio-temporal Trends in Seasonal Vegetation Photosynthetic Activity Across Uttarakhand Himalayas, 2000–2014. AGU Fall Meeting, B42A-07
Mishra, N. B. (2014). Estimating fractional land cover in the central Kalahari: The impact of vegetation morphology and sensor across three spatial scales. NASA LCLUC Science Team Meeting, Rockville, Maryland
Mishra, N. B., & Chaudhuri, G. (2013). Characterizing the Physical Environment of Kolkata by Spectral Unmixing of Landsat TM. NASA LCLUC Regional Science Meeting in South Asia, Coimbatore, India
Mishra, N. B. (2010). SAR interferometry for mapping land subsidence in Phoenix. Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting [Google Scholar title search]
Mishra, N., Honda, K., & Kulkarni, A. V. (2007). Assessment of glacial mass balance using ASTER data and comparison with in-situ measurements: Chota Shingri Glacier, India. IUGG XXIV General Assembly, Perugia, Italy
Preprint
Mishra, N., Chaudhuri, G., Mainali, K., Mal, S., Tiruwa, B., & Singh, P. (2020). Quantifying melt dynamics on a debris-covered Himalayan glacier using repeated UAS photogrammetry derived DSM and point cloud differencing. Preprints, version 1
Dissertation
Mishra, N. B. (2014). Characterizing ecosystem structural and functional properties in the central Kalahari using multi-scale remote sensing. Ph.D. dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin [Google Scholar title search]
Research animation
Mishra, N. B. (2026). Upper Mississippi River Pool 8 Annual NDVI–MNDWI Site Trajectories, 1990–2025. Video animation
