Forest ecosystems provide a range of values and services, from regulating carbon, nutrient and water cycles to providing raw material for timber products, wildlife habitat and opportunities for recreation. Sustaining these values in the context of changes in climate, disturbance regimes and land use requires understanding and managing forests as complex adaptive systems.
Some current research themes we are pursuing related to this include:
We develop robust experimental and analytical frameworks to address these themes. Our studies have provided insights related to community assembly processes and associated ecosystems functions as well as methodological advances. However our research also has real-world implications for agencies, landowners and conservation organizations tasked with managing forests for a range of ecosystem services in an increasingly uncertain world.
Some current research themes we are pursuing related to this include:
- Understanding how effects of disturbance and silvicultural forest management vary over space and time with climate
- Linking species composition and structure to ecosystem functions and services with trait-based models
- Determining whether, and how, forest ecosystem functions and services can be sustained over time in the face of changes in climate and disturbance regimes using silvicultural forest management
We develop robust experimental and analytical frameworks to address these themes. Our studies have provided insights related to community assembly processes and associated ecosystems functions as well as methodological advances. However our research also has real-world implications for agencies, landowners and conservation organizations tasked with managing forests for a range of ecosystem services in an increasingly uncertain world.
