Dr. Tawanda Winmore Gara

Qualifications:

PhD. GIS and Earth Observation (UT-ITC, Netherlands), 2019 MSc. (Cum Laude) GIS and Earth Observation (UT-ITC,), 2014 MPhil (UZ, Zimbabwe), 2012 B.A Hons. Geography (UZ); 2008

Academic Appointments:

Senior Lecturer

Research Interests:

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Remote Sensing (RS)
Biodiversity Conservation
Vegetation spectroscopy
Natural Resources and Environmental Management
Species Distribution Modelling
Environmental Modelling
Forest carbon modeling
Environmental Impact Assessment

Faculty: Science

Department: Geographical Information Science and Earth Observation

Research Category: Geography and Environmental Science

Biography:

Email: tw4gara@gmail.com

Phone: +263242303211

Publications:

1. Xie, R., Darvishzadeh, R., Skidmore, A. K., Heurich, M., Holzwarth, S., Gara, T. W., & Reusen, I. (2021). Mapping leaf area index in a mixed temperate forest using Fenix airborne hyperspectral data and Gaussian processes regression. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 95, 102242.
2. Dube, T., Shoko, C., & Gara, T. W. (2021). Remote sensing of aboveground grass biomass between protected and non‐protected areas in savannah rangelands. African Journal of Ecology.
3. Ali, A. M., Darvishzadeh, R., Skidmore, A. K., Gara, T. W., Heurich, M., & Marc, P. (2020, February). Statistical and physical models for mapping canopy chlorophyll content from Sentinel-2 Data. In World Biodiversity Forum 2020.
4. Gara, T. W., Wang, T., Dube, T., Ngene, S. M., & Mpakairi, K. S. (2020). African elephant (Loxodonta africana) select less fragmented landscapes to connect core habitats in human‐dominated landscapes. African Journal of Ecology.
5. Ali, A. M., Darvishzadeh, R., Skidmore, A., Gara, T. W., O’Connor, B., Roeoesli, C., ... & Paganini, M. (2020). Comparing methods for mapping canopy chlorophyll content in a mixed mountain forest using Sentinel-2 data. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 87, 102037.
6. Pride, M., Priscilla, M. T., & Gara, T. (2020). Dominant wetland vegetation species discrimination and quantification using in situ hyperspectral data. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, 75(3), 229-238.
7. Hoeppner, J. M., Skidmore, A. K., Darvishzadeh, R., Heurich, M., Chang, H. C., & Gara, T. W. (2020). Mapping canopy chlorophyll content in a temperate forest using airborne hyperspectral data. Remote Sensing, 12(21), 3573.
8. Gara, T.W, Darvishzadeh, R., Skidmore, A., & Wang, T. and Heurich Marco (2019) Evaluating the performance of PROSPECT in the retrieval of leaf traits across canopy throughout the growing season International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation 83: 101919, doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2019.101919
9. Darvishzadeh, R., Wang, T., Skidmore, A., Vrieling, A., O’Connor, B., Gara, T.W., Ens, B.J. and Paganini, M., (2019). Analysis of Sentinel-2 and Rapid-Eye for Retrieval of Leaf Area Index in a Saltmarsh Using a Radiative Transfer Model. Remote Sensing, 11(6): 671, doi.org/10.3390/rs11060671
10. Gara, T.W, Darvishzadeh, R., Skidmore, A., & Wang, T. and Heurich Marco (2019) Accurate modelling of canopy traits from seasonal Sentinel-2 imagery based on the vertical distribution of leaf traits ISPRS: Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 157:108-123, doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2019.09.005
11. Gara, T. W., Skidmore, A. K., Darvishzadeh, R., & Wang, T. (2019). Leaf to canopy upscaling approach affects the estimation of canopy traits GIScience & Remote Sensing, 56(4), 554-575. doi:10.1080/15481603.2018.1540170
12. Mareya, H. T., Tagwireyi, P., Ndaimani, H., Gara, T. W., & Gwenzi, D. (2018). Estimating Tree Crown Area and Aboveground Biomass in Miombo Woodlands from High- Resolution RGB-Only Imagery. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, (99), 1-8. doi:10.1109/JSTARS.2018.2799386
13. Gara, T.W, Darvishzadeh, R., Skidmore, A., & Wang, T. (2018). Impact of Vertical Canopy Position on Leaf Spectral Properties and Traits across Multiple Species. Remote Sensing, 10(2), 346 doi.org/10.3390/rs10020346
14. Mpakairi, K. S., Ndaimani, H., Tagwireyi, P., Gara, T. W., Zvidzai, M., & Madhlamoto, D. (2017). Missing in action: Species competition is a neglected predictor variable in species distribution modelling. PLoS ONE, 12(7), e0181088. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181088
15. Ndaimani, H., Murwira, A., Masocha, M., Gara, T. W., & Zengeya, F. M. (2017). Evaluating performance of aerial survey data in elephant habitat modelling. African Journal of Ecology, 55(3), 270-281. doi:10.1111/aje.12348
16. Gara, T. W., Murwira, A., Dube, T., Sibanda, M., Rwasoka, D. T., Ndaimani, H., Hatendi, C. M. (2017). Estimating forest carbon stocks in tropical dry forests of Zimbabwe: exploring the performance of high and medium spatial-resolution multispectral sensors. Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science, 79(1), 31-40. doi:10.2989/20702620.2016.1233751
17. Gara, T. W., Wang, T., Skidmore, A. K., Ngene, S. M., Dube, T., & Sibanda, M. (2017). Elephants move faster in small fragments of low productivity in Amboseli ecosystems: Kenya. Geocarto International, 32(11), 1243-1253. doi:10.1080/10106049.2016.1206625
18. Gara, T. W., Wang, T., Skidmore, A. K., Zengeya, F. M., Ngene, S. M., Murwira, A., & Ndaimani, H. (2017). Understanding the effect of landscape fragmentation and vegetation productivity on elephant habitat utilization in Amboseli ecosystem, Kenya. African Journal of Ecology, 55(3), 259-269. doi:10.1111/aje.12346
19. Gara, T. W., Murwira, A., & Ndaimani, H. (2016). Predicting forest carbon stocks from high-resolution satellite data in dry forests of Zimbabwe: exploring the effect of the red-edge band in forest carbon stocks estimation. Geocarto International, 31(2), 176-192. doi:10.1080/10106049.2015.1041563
20. Dube, T., Gara, T. W., Sibanda, M., Shoko, C., Murwira, A., Ndaimani, H., & Hatendi, C. (2016). Estimating forest standing biomass in savanna woodlands as an indicator of forest productivity using the new generation WorldView-2 sensor. Geocarto International, 1-21. doi:10.1080/10106049.2016.1240717
21. Bangira, T., Maathuis, B. H. P., Dube, T., & Gara, T. W. (2015). Investigating flash floods potential areas using ASCAT and TRMM satellites in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Geocarto International, 30(7), 737-754. doi:10.1080/10106049.2014.997302
22. Gara, T. W., Murwira, A., Ndaimani, H., Chivhenge, E., & Hatendi, C. M. (2015). Indigenous forest wood volume estimation in a dry savanna, Zimbabwe: exploring the performance of high-and-medium spatial resolution multispectral sensors. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, 70(3), 285-293. doi:10.1080/0035919x.2015.1057269
23. Gara, T. W., Murwira, A., Chivhenge, E., Dube, T., & Bangira, T. (2014). Estimating wood volume from canopy area in deciduous woodlands of Zimbabwe. Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science, 76(4), 237-244. doi:10.2989/20702620.2014.965981

Patented Work:

Grants & Funding (current and Past projects):

Research Platform “Production and Conservation in Partnership” (RP-PCP grant/Project ECO#5) (Jan 2011-July 2012)

Awards & Achievements:

AiO Fellowship (for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, (ITC) (PhD) University of Twente, Netherlands (Feb 2015-Feb 2019)

NFP Fellowship (NFP-MA 12/9084) for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation for Natural Resources Management, (ITC) (MSc) University of Twente, Netherlands (Sept 2012-March 2014)

DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst) In-Country Scholarship (A/10/02922) (Jan 2010-July 2012)