Members of the Jones Center Landscape Ecology Lab have organized a special session on Hurricane Ecology and Management resarch at the 14th North American Forest Ecology Workshop (NAFEW) in Asheville, NC on June 24-27, 2024. Since 2005, the NAFEW conference has fostered discussions of current forest issues among researchers and land managers, aiming to bridge the gap between basic science and transfer to field foresters.
Our organized session, titled “Hurricane ecology and management in tropical cyclone-prone forests of the US” will feature researchers working on the ecological effects of hurricanes and how to mitigate and measure hurricane risk and impacts to guide conservation efforts.
Hurricane ecology and management in tropical cyclone-prone forests of the US
Severe winds from tropical cyclones threaten forests of the eastern US and globally. Little is known about how hurricanes regimes impact the ecology and evolution of forests or how to mitigate risk. This session is to bring together research exploring the ecology of hurricanes, and research on conservation, restoration, and management efforts in the face of increasing hurricane activity. Considering the ecology of hurricanes and hurricane risk can provide meaningful insights into ecological processes, and guide forest management and restoration efforts in the region.
Participants in this session will (1) gain an understanding that hurricanes are an integral ecological process in many forest ecosystems with impacts on forest dynamics, mortality, nutrient cycling, and forest management. Participants will (2) understand that explicit consideration of hurricane activity in management and planning can help mitigate risk to forests and guide conservation efforts in cyclone-prone regions.
Session Schedule: June 27, 2024
 | Nicole Zampieri 10:00 EDT Advancing hurricane ecology to improve ecological resilience in endangered systems. | |
 | Jeffery Cannon 10:20 EDT Hurricane ecology: Wind resistance traits in southern pines vary along a hurricane frequency gradient | |
 | Seth Bigelow 10:40 EDT Promoting windstorm resilience in off-site pine woodlands: Insights from Hurricane Michael | |
 | Jason Vogel 11:00 EDT Effect of Hurricane Michael on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics in Florida pine stands | |
 | Arthur Lamounier Moura 11:20 EDT Linking canopy disturbances, fuelbed structure and fire behavior: Insights from two contrasting fire-dependent forests | |
 | Inacio Bueno 11:40 EDT RapidFEM4D: A web-based mapping platform for balancing ecological recovery and forest management post-hurricane Ian in Florida |
Session Organizers
- Jeffery B. Cannon (The Jones Center at Ichauway, Jeffery.cannon@jonesctr.org)
- Nicole E. Zampieri (Tall Timbers Research Station, The Jones Center at Ichauway, nzampieri@talltimbers.org)
