Longleaf Alliance: Lab Studies in Hurricane Ecology
Join the members of the Jones Center Landscape Ecology Lab as we present our latest research at the 15th Biennial Longleaf Conference, taking place from October 7 to 11, 2024, in Miramar Beach, Florida.
Presentations from our lab will focus on hurricane ecology in longleaf pine, considerations for management hurricane risk to longleaf pine ecosystems, and two lab members will debut work on hurricane ecology using dendrochronological and remote sensing techniques
New study: Overstory and litter properties drive fuel dynamics
The composition of fire-dependent forests can shift after decades of fire exclusion. Forests can shift to trees with distinct overstory and leaf litter traits that can further suppress fire and make restoration difficult. We compared how leaf litter and overstory properties differed between fire-adapted pines and oaks, and the non-fire adapted species that often encroach after fire suppression. We found that trees produced distinct microclimates and that drying properties of leaf litter varied among species. This information is useful for understanding mesophytic encroachment and for accelerating successful restoration efforts
Module 1: Getting started with LiDAR processing for forestry and natural resources
If you are interested in learning to use LiDAR for forestry and natural resources, this tutorial can help you get started. You will learn to view large datasets, create raster products, map trees, and more!
PNAS: New study defines hurricane regimes for North American forests
Hurricanes are a chronic disturbance to many forests. but currently no study defines hurricane regimes for North America. This study uses hurricane models and long-term data to define four distinct hurricane regimes for the region, and discusses how hurricanes may be a useful lens for understanding the distribution of tree species and their traits.
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.
New paper on fire reintroduction and fertilizer legacy effects on plant communities
The Plant Ecology, Ecohydrology, and Ecological Silviculture Labs collaborated on a recent publication utilizing the Jones Center’s Long-term Productivity project. We found that: •Recovery in species composition was more evident at wetter sites compared to drier sites, likely because of seed establishment limitations at the drier sites. •A legacy of fertilizer addition dampened species richness […]
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.