Jonathan Fleming is an Associate Professor of Geography at Samford University and a native of Belgreen in northwest Alabama. His teaching and research focus on applied GIS, remote sensing, spatial modeling, and landscape change, with particular interest in how geospatial technologies support environmental monitoring, conservation planning, and ecological resilience. He also incorporates UAS-acquired imagery as part of broader GIS workflows and increasingly integrates GeoAI tools for spatial analysis.
Dr. Fleming directs both the undergraduate GIS program and the Graduate GIS Certificate program and is a strong advocate for experiential learning. He has led or co-led field courses in the southeastern United States, the desert Southwest, the Pacific Northwest, Tanzania, and Saba (Dutch Caribbean), where students explore the relationships between physical landscapes, ecological communities, and human culture, and consider how stewardship of the land is connected to human responsibility and the well-being of communities.
He is a certified GIS Professional (GISP) and FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot. Although his primary responsibilities center on teaching, he mentors undergraduate research projects that are frequently presented at regional and national conferences. His work reflects a commitment to helping students understand not only how Earth systems function, but how geographic knowledge can be used in service to others, responsible decision-making, and caring for creation. Outside of work, Dr. Fleming enjoys gardening, hiking, and spending time with his wife and their young child, along with their very spoiled geriatric dogs.
Degrees
• PhD, Forest Resources, Mississippi State University
• MS, Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Mississippi State University
• BS, Geographic Information Science, University of North Alabama
Publications
Fleming, J.P., R.M. Wersal, J.D. Madsen, and E.D. Dibble. 2021. Weak non-linear influences of biotic and abiotic factors on invasive macrophyte occurrence. Aquatic Invasions 16: 349-364.
Sartain, B.T., J.P. Fleming, and C.R. Mudge. 2019. Utilizing Remote Sensing Technology for Monitoring Chemically Managed Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) Populations. Journal of Aquatic Plant Management 57: 14-22.
Palumbo, M.D., J.P. Fleming, O.A. Monsegur, and F.J. Vilella. 2016. A GIS model of habitat suitability for the endangered shrub Solanum conocarpum (Solanaceae) in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Caribbean Naturalist 36: 1-10.
Fleming, J.P., and E.D. Dibble. 2015. Ecological Mechanisms of Invasion Success in Aquatic Macrophytes. Hydrobiologia 746: 23-37.
Fleming, J.P., J.D. Madsen, R.M. Wersal, and E.D. Dibble. 2015. Investigation of Darwin’s Naturalization Hypothesis in invaded macrophyte communities. Biological Invasions 17: 1519-1531.
Simek, S.L., J.L. Belant, Z. Fan, B.W. Young, B.D. Leopold, J.P. Fleming, and B. Waller. 2015. Source populations and roads influence American black bear recolonization. European Journal of Wildlife Research 61: 583-590.
Huenemann, T., E.D. Dibble, and J.P. Fleming. 2012. Influence of turbidity on the foraging of largemouth bass. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 141: 107-111.
Kröger, R., E. Dibble, J.B.Brandt, J.P. Fleming, T. Huenemann, T. Stubbs, J.D. Prevost, T. Tietjen, K.A. Littlejohn, and S. Pierce. 2011. Spatial and temporal changes in total suspended sediment concentrations in an oxbow lake after implementing agricultural landscape management practices. River Research and Applications 29: 56-64.
Fleming, J.P., J.D. Madsen, and E.D. Dibble. 2011. Development of a GIS model to enhance macrophyte re-establishment projects. Applied Geography 32: 629-635.
Fleming, J.P., J.D. Madsen, and E.D. Dibble. 2011. Macrophyte re-establishment for fish habitat in Little Bear Creek Reservoir, Alabama, USA. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 26: 105-114.
