Description

As foresters we try to emulate natural disturbance through silvicultural practices, but often nature has other ideas, confounding well-implemented prescriptions. Join us for this two-day exploration of connections between natural disturbance, wildlife habitat, and forest management. After a review of key concepts in disturbance ecology we’ll focus on fire, wind, and forest management as disturbance agents, with talks from researchers and practitioners on each. We'll close out the event with a handful of on-the-ground case studies related to biotic and abiotic natural disturbances.

Agenda in brief:

Tuesday, November 29th
--We'll begin the summit with an overview of disturbance attributes and move on to wind: what it looks like in Minnesota, implications for wildlife, and types of management following this disturbance. Later in the afternoon we'll begin our discussion surrounding fire, including the silvicultural applications of fire and the cultural use and values.

Wednesday, November 30th
--We'll start the day by rounding out our discussion on fire and its effects on wildlife. Next we will discuss anthropogenic disturbance in the form of harvesting: silvicultural systems, timber sale designs, and dynamic forest blocks. In the afternoon we will explore a handful of case studies and adjourn at 3:30 p.m.

Note: This event is available both onsite at the Cloquet Forestry Center or via Zoom. Please use the course fee to select where you will attend in-person or online.

Course Contact

R. Lane Moser, 651-494-8833, moser196@umn.edu

Registration questions

Extension Registration, ext-reg@umn.edu

If you experience difficulties logging in

Contact the University of Minnesota IT Help Line at 612-301-4357. Let them know you are using a guest account to register for a non-credit event.