Jones Center Landscape Ecology Lab
The mission of the Jones Center Landscape Ecology Lab is to advance the science and practice of landscape ecology to inform the conservation and management of ecosystems in the Southeastern US and beyond. We achieve this by (1) conducting innovative, interdisciplinary research addressing pressing conservation challenges, (2) designing practical, evidence-based solutions that integrate ecology, community, and policy, and (3) fostering the development of skilled experts and leaders who drive positive change in conservation. We focus our efforts on three major goals:
- Understand how hurricanes and fire shape forest structure and function
- Improve conservation and management outcomes in longleaf pine forests.
- Accelerate training and adoption of new technologies for addressing conservation issues
Read more about our research efforts, and see below for recent news from the Lab
News from the Landscape Ecology Lab
UGA Today highlights lab’s research on smoke emissions from prescribed fire
UGA Today recently covered new research quantifying how prescribed fire smoke affects air quality across the Southeast. The study found prescribed burns account for over 20% of regional fine particle pollution, with Georgia seeing the most smoke-impacted days of any state studied. Jones Center scientist Jeffery Cannon co-authored the work, which used burn permit records to model smoke exposure more accurately than satellite data alone — helping land managers balance fire’s conservation benefits with community health.
Podcast: Hurricanes and Forest Ecology | Timber University Podcast, Ep. 41
Recently Dr. Jeffery Cannon joined the Timber University podcast to discuss the lab’s hurricane research in longleaf pine ecosystems. The conversation covers how storms shape forest structure, stimulate reproduction, and reinforce fire regimes — and how lidar is helping researchers quantify these impacts. The episode also touches on managing for resilience and what disturbance ecology means for landowners and restoration practitioners.
New Study: Modeling smoke exposure from burn permits
Prescribed fire is essential for forest management, but estimating its smoke impacts remains a challenge. Our lab contributed to a new study creating a novel way of estimating smoke exposure from burn permit geodatabases by integrating them with atmospheric and chemical transport models to improve PM2.5 estimates from Rx burns. The permit-based approach captures small, short-lived burns often missed by satellites and allows exploring new ways to reduce smoke emissions overall
“Piloting” metrics for monitoring biodiversity credits
The first U.S. biodiversity credits were sold in May 2025 for longleaf pine restoration, signaling a new market to support conservation. The Landscape Ecology Lab is pioneering streamlined monitoring protocols using drones and terrestrial lidar to measure vegetation structure in longleaf ecosystems. This cost-effective approach could make biodiversity credits more accessible to small landowners and provide viable financial incentives for conservation work.
ForestSAT2026: Special Session: Applying New Technologies to Forest Hurricane Research
The Jones Center Landscape Ecology Lab is hosting two sessions on hurricane-resilient forests at ForestSAT2026 (May 4-8, Gainesville, FL). Eight presentations showcase terrestrial lidar, UAV, and satellite remote sensing innovations for understanding forest resilience to intensifying tropical cyclones. Researchers from across the southeastern United States will present cutting-edge work on hurricane-adaptive canopy traits, wind disturbance impacts, damage assessment using deep learning, and ecological recovery.
New Study: Spaceborne lidar advances global forest monitoring
The Jones Center Landscape Ecology lab joined a global research team to synthesize research on NASA’s ICESat-2 spaceborne lidar mission and its applications for forest vegetation monitoring beyond its initial mission for ice monitoring. The team analyzed 293 studies and identified both current uses and emerging opportunities for combining satellite data to better understand forests, fire ecology, and environmental change.
NA-IALE: Hurricane Ecology and Restoration (International Association for Landscape Ecology)
The Jones Center Landscape Ecology Lab will showcase restoration and ecology research at the 40th Annual IALE-North America Meeting in Athens, GA. Our team will present three talks, three posters, and a hands-on workshop on lidar analysis in R, advancing our understanding of hurricane impacts on forests, remote sensing applications for restoration monitoring, and sustainable forest management in longleaf pine ecosystems.
Now Hiring: Landscape Ecology Seasonal Technician
We are seeking motivated individuals for a Seasonal Technician position supporting forest ecology and restoration research in longleaf pine woodlands at the Jones Center at Ichauway. The successful applicant will assist with field data collection, tree and understory surveys, terrestrial lidar collection and processing, and UAV operations in a team setting. Application deadline: March 30, 2026.
A Practical Guide to Revising a Peer-Reviewed Manuscript
Getting reviewer comments back can feel overwhelming—especially the first time. This article walks budding scientists through a clear, practical process for tackling peer-review revisions. From managing reviewer feedback to writing an effective response letter, this guide focuses on organization, momentum, and making it easy for reviewers to say yes.