Emerging Themes in the Ecology and Management of North American Forests

Sharik, Terry L.; Adair, William; Baker, Fred A.; Battaglia, Michael; Comfort, Emily J.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Delong, Craig; DeRose, R. Justin; Ducey, Mark J.; Harmon, Mark; Levy, Louise; Logan, Jesse A., Box 482; O'Brien, Joseph; Palik, Brian J.; Roberts, Scott D.; Rogers, Paul C.; Shinneman, Douglas J.; Spies, Thomas; Taylor, Sarah L.; Woodall, Christopher; Youngblood, Andrew

Emerging Themes in the Ecology and Management of North American Forests

2010

Sharik, Terry L.(Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University) | Adair, William(Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University) | Baker, Fred A.(Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University) | Battaglia, Michael(Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service) | Comfort, Emily J.(Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University) | D'Amato, Anthony W.(Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota) | Delong, Craig(BC Ministry of Forests and Range, Prince) | DeRose, R. Justin(Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University) | Ducey, Mark J.(Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire) | Harmon, Mark(Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University) | Levy, Louise(Cloquet Forestry Center, University of Minnesota) | Logan, Jesse A.(USDA Forest Service (retired), Box 482) | O'Brien, Joseph(Center for Forest Disturbance Science, USDA Forest Service) | Palik, Brian J.(Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service) | Roberts, Scott D.(Department of Forestry, Mississippi State University) | Rogers, Paul C.(Western Aspen Alliance, Utah State University) | Shinneman, Douglas J.(U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center) | Spies, Thomas(Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service) | Taylor, Sarah L.(School of Life Sciences, Keele University) | Woodall, Christopher(Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service) | Youngblood, Andrew(Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service)

The 7th North American Forest Ecology Workshop, consisting of 149 presentations in 16 oral sessions and a poster session, reflected a broad range of topical areas currently under investigation in forest ecology and management. There was an overarching emphasis on the role of disturbance, both natural and anthropogenic, in the dynamics of forest ecosystems, and the recognition that legacies from past disturbances strongly influence future trajectories. Climate was invoked as a major driver of ecosystem change. An emphasis was placed on application of research findings for predicting system responses to changing forest management initiatives. Several “needs” emerged from the discussions regarding approaches to the study of forest ecosystems, including (1) consideration of variable spatial and temporal scales, (2) long-term monitoring, (3) development of universal databases more encompassing of time and space to facilitate meta-analyses, (4) combining field studies and modeling approaches, (5) standardizing methods of measurement and assessment, (6) guarding against oversimplification or overgeneralization from limited site-specific results, (7) greater emphasis on plant-animal interactions, and (8) better alignment of needs and communication of results between researchers and managers.

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