Description
Conduct research to advance sustainable management of public and private forests for economic, ecological, and recreational objectives. Design and evaluate inventories, growth-and-yield models, and valuation methods; analyze impacts of silviculture, harvesting, and restoration on wildlife habitat, water quality, and soil stability, and compliance with environmental regulations. Develop and test methods for regeneration, tree improvement, and monitoring, using field experiments, remote sensing, and laboratory analyses. Translate findings into actionable guidance, decision-support tools, and adaptive management plans.
- • Evaluate outcomes of forest management activities for regulatory compliance and ecological performance.
- • Develop short- and long-term, research-driven forest management and monitoring plans.
- • Supervise and mentor research technicians, interns, and graduate students in field and lab work.
- • Design and oversee experimental site preparation and silvicultural treatments, including prescribed fire, mechanical, and chemical methods under safety protocols.
- • Plan and lead studies on planting density, spacing, nursery practices, thinning, and seedling growth and survival.
- • Secure research permits, data-sharing agreements, funding, and land access with agencies, tribes, and private landowners.
- • Study fire ecology, fuels, and treatment effects; support prescribed burn research and model fire behavior and risk.
- • Investigate harvesting systems to minimize waste, soil disturbance, and habitat impacts; evaluate low-impact logging technologies.
- • Quantify how stand structure and environment influence growth, species composition, regeneration, seed production, and germination.
- • Design and implement reclamation and restoration monitoring, analyzing trajectories toward desired ecosystem conditions.
- • Develop and evaluate projects to conserve wildlife habitat and protect soil and water quality; establish performance metrics.
- • Design forest surveys and experiments, perform statistical analyses, and produce technical reports and peer-reviewed publications.
- • Conduct health assessments of forests and nurseries, including pest, disease, and invasive species surveillance.
- • Use GIS, LiDAR, and remote sensing to map soils and vegetation, and to model biomass, carbon, growth, and stocking.
- • Deliver science-based outreach and training on forest stewardship and conservation to stakeholders and the public.
- • Establish research sites and long-term plots; manage data acquisition from landowner and agency partners.
- • Coordinate with logging and road crews to implement research treatments and ensure safe access for sampling.
- • Develop and validate growth-and-yield and harvest scheduling models to inform silvicultural prescriptions.
- • Design and implement wildlife monitoring to assess responses to forest operations and habitat changes.
- • Install and maintain study infrastructure such as monitoring stations, sensors, and instrument towers; ensure QA/QC.
- • Obtain permissions and conduct stand inventories and sample collections; maintain georeferenced records.
- • Provide science-based advice to landowners, fire managers, agencies, and industry on forestry issues and policy.
- • Investigate taxonomy, life histories, site requirements, climate adaptation, and resistance to pests and pathogens of tree species.
- • Research wood utilization, bioenergy, and residue management to enhance resource efficiency and circularity.
- • Develop and refine methods and tools for tree and stand measurement, including sampling protocols and automated detection.
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
