Welcome to the X Lab
My name is Qiaoyun Xie, Qiaoyun is pronounced like “Ciao-young”. I am a Senior Lecturer and co-chair of the Environmental Engineering program. I am also known as Dr. X, hence “The X Lab”. Our lab is based in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering within the School of Engineering at The University of Western Australia (UWA), a World Top 100 University. We are also part of the Centre for Water and Spatial Science at UWA.
We study ecosystem dynamics, especially vegetation dynamics, using satellite remote sensing and ground observations. Our goal is to advance earth observation of ecosystems for studying climate change impact and for supporting land management and decision-making. To that end, my lab currently focuses on a few directions below.
Ecosystem Dynamics Monitoring – Design integrated satellite–airborne–field observations to track vegetation structure, productivity, and resilience to drought and heatwaves.
Vegetation Phenology & Climate Responses – Quantify seasonal vegetation cycles and climate-driven shifts to assess impacts on biodiversity, agriculture, fire regimes, and public health.
Agricultural & Environmental Applications – End-user driven studies to solve regional questions regarding vegetation dynamics in agricultural and natural ecosystems, such as monitoring grazing species composition and productivity to support grazing management.
Decision-Support for Management – Translate geospatial data into operational tools for sustainable land use, biodiversity conservation, and environmental hazard forecasting.
Climate Adaptation
How do we prepare for the changing biogeography of the Earth’s future climates? This is our overarching question. To answer that, our research aims to assist agricultural and environmental managers and facilitate engineering innovation to help us adapt to the rapidly changing climate. We are well positioned at UWA, where the Agriculture and Environmental Science and Engineering fields are ranked top 30 worldwide, with plenty opportunities to collaborate with excellent scientists both within the university and around the world. Located in Perth, one of the world’s most liveable cities, we are blessed with breath-taking nature. Come visit us, study or work with us!
What is Phenology?
The Science of What and When
Phenology is the study of seasons, both on the farm and in nature. My main research interest is using satellite data to map the natural and agricultural growing seasons of Australia and monitor their shift as a result of climate change. I also use airborne remote sensing data and field measurements to observe land surface responses and interactions with climate, land use activities, and major disturbance events.
