People

My work is inspired to better understand forest ecosystems and answer pressing questions about how we should protect, use, and manage our forests. During the past century, many American western forests have seen dramatic changes in disturbance regimes, species composition, and hydrologic and nutrient cycles due to fire suppression, air pollution, land use change, and climate change. These stressors have resulted in unprecedented conditions that may require new adaptive approaches to management focused on building ecosystem resilience. My research focuses broadly on forest community ecology, disturbance ecology, and forest management. I hope to understand how fire and other disturbances have historically interacted with forested ecosystems, and the challenges and opportunities for creating resilient forest ecosystems in a time of changing climate and broad-scale human impact. I employ field based experiments and measurements as well as simulation models and remotely sensed data to answer questions at a variety of spatial scales (individual tree, forest stand, landscape, and region). Through my research, I seek to better understand forest ecosystem dynamics in order to better project future trajectories and determine the most effective means to maintain ecosystem resilience.