International scientists to participate in sustainable forest management workshop
A two-day workshop on sustainable forest management focused on northern forests research will bring scientists from the United States, Canada and Denmark to the University of Maine, June 7–8.
The event, “Long-Term Site Productivity Research: Lessons from Other Regions and Opportunities for Maine,” is offered by the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit (CFRU), a stakeholder-driven research cooperative at UMaine, in collaboration with alumnus Tat Smith, a professor at the University of Toronto.
The workshop, which begins at 8:30 a.m. in Wells Conference Center, will feature panel discussions and research presentations on topics ranging from assessment and communication of soil disturbance guidelines, to how long-term site productivity studies have informed policy in Quebec. In addition, the results of a 35-year study at Weymouth Point in Maine by CFRU will be presented.
Visiting presenters include: Inge Stupak from University of Copenhagen, Cindy Prescott from the University of British Columbia, Eric Sucre of Weyerhaeuser in Oregon, David Morris of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Daniel Kneeshaw of Université du Québec à Montréal, and Paul Arp of the University of New Brunswick. Brian Roth and Joshua Puhlick from UMaine’s School of Forest Resources will present on research conducted in the state.
The second day of the workshop features a field tour in Grand Falls Township, the first installation in the new Maine Adaptive Silviculture Network (MASN), a new long-term demonstration network and field laboratory spearheaded by CFRU. The installation includes five 20-acre operation-scale contrasting forest harvest treatments that will be monitored over time.
Presenters on the field tour include UMaine scientists Roth, Puhlick, Anil Kizha, Anthony Guay and David Sandilands; Tom Gilbert of the Maine Forest Service and professor Arp of the University of New Brunswick. Topics will range from the effects of this harvesting on site productivity, using technology to obtain high-resolution imagery, and maps to inform decision-making to protect Maine’s water quality.
More information is online.