👋 Ergin C. Cankaya

Forest Data Scientist | LiDAR Specialist | Remote Sensing Researcher

PhD Candidate @ University of Alberta | Forest Growth Modelling • LiDAR • Remote Sensing • RShiny

🌟 Featured Project

🚀 National Forest Inventory Decision Support System (UOE DSS)
📍 Developed using RShiny, Leaflet, Plotly, and Docker
☁️ Hosted on Microsoft Azure

This interactive platform visualizes and analyzes spatial and tabular data from Turkey’s National Forest Inventory (UOE). It integrates diverse datasets — including tree metrics, biomass, understory, soil, and carbon — into an accessible decision support tool for forest managers, researchers, and policy-makers.

🎯 Research Interests

🌲 Forest Growth Models (Allometry, Yield Forecasting)
🚁 LiDAR & Photogrammetry (UAV, Handheld, Terrestrial Systems)
🛰️ Remote Sensing & GIS (Time-Series Analysis, Tree Species Classification)
🤖 AI for Forestry (Random Forest, Deep Learning, Forest Inventory Automation)

🏆 Highlights

Year	Activity
2025	🏅 Awarded NSERC Doctoral Fellowship
2025	🌍 Released: UOE RShiny Dashboard for the National Forest Inventory in Turkey
2023	🏅 Best Poster Presentation Award at the 93rd Forest Industry Lecture Series (FILS)
2023	🗣 Oral Presentation: ISCL: Individual Tree Detection from UAV LiDAR, Québec, Canada

📚 Selected Publications

Çankaya, E. Ç. (2021). Using handheld mobile LiDAR technology in forest inventories: A case study from Artvin-Şavşat. Forestry Research Journal, Dec 11, 2021.
Copenheaver, C. A., et al., Çankaya, E. Ç. (2017). Dendroarchaeology of Appalachian Forests. Poster presented at IUFRO.
Çankaya, E. Ç. (2015). Forest Road Network Effect on Forest Fire: A Case Study of Turkey. COFE, Lexington, KY.
Çankaya, E. Ç. (2015). Evaluating Forest-Based Land Use Change Trends Using CA-Markov. COFE, Lexington, KY.