Our research at Humboldt State University uses field measurements, tree-rings, and remotely sensed imagery to inventory and monitor forest ecosystems, and understand how they respond to disturbance agents, management activites, and climate change.  Our mission is to conduct applied research to develop forest inventory and monitoring methods, assist forest management decision-making,
​and inform land management policy

Lidar point cloud, Teakette Experimental Forest, California USA

Lab News:

February 6. 2020:
The Forest Measurements & Ecology Lab is a seeking a highly-motivated summer field technician to assist field data collection to quantify and mitigate mortality of large old-growth Sugar pines and Jeffery pines in response to a large catchment scale prescribed fire scheduled for Fall 2020 in an old-growth mixed conifer forest in the southern Sierra Nevada of California. Please see the opportunities page for more information and how to apply.

January 31. 2020:
The Forest Measurements & Ecology Lab is seeking a highly-motivated students interested joining the lab to pursue an MS degree in Forestry and Wildland Resources at Humboldt State University.  The selected student will collect and analyze field and lab data to quantify mortality of large old-growth Sugar (Pinus lambertiana) and Jeffery (PInus jefferyi) pines in response to a large catchment scale prescribed fire scheduled for Fall 2020 in an old-growth mixed conifer forest in the southern Sierra Nevada of California. Please see the opportunities page for more information and how to apply.
NOTE: REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS HAS BEGUN FOR THIS POSITION, AND WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

July 22, 2019:
Chance Callahan successfully defended his MS Thesis entitled "Effects of thinning and prescribed burning on tree resistance to extreme drought in a Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest, California USA”. Congratulations Chance!

July 12, 2019:
James Lamping presented a poster on his Senior Thesis  entitled "Multi-angle photogrammetric quantification of structure in a tall mixed conifer forest with UAS” at the ESRI User Conference in San Diego, California.
​lamping_poster_esri_2019.pdf
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May 14, 2019:
James Lamping presented his Senior Thesis  entitled "Multi-angle photogrammetric quantification of structure in a tall mixed conifer forest with UAS”. Congratulations James!

February 5, 2019:
The Forest Measurements & Ecology Lab is seeking 2-3 undergraduate students interested in working as summer field technicians in the Sierra Nevada and Northern Calfornia.  Please see the opportunities page for more information and how to apply. Applications will be accepted until February 25, 2019

July 31, 2018:
Dr. Zald was on Jefferson Public Radio's Jefferson Exchange program about how private industrial timber plantations burned more severely than publicly managed forestland during the Douglas Fire of 2013 in southwestern Oregon, 

May 5 2018:
Dr. Zald was on Oregon Public Radio, talking about how during the Douglas Fire of 2013 in southwestern Oregon, private industrial timber plantations burned more severely than publicly managed forestland..
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May 1, 2018:
Dr. Zald and Dr. Chris Dunn at Oregon State University had their paper entitled  Severe fire weather and intensive forest management increase fire severity in a multi-ownership landscape published in the journal Ecological Applications.

March 22, 2018:
Dr. Zald is a co-author with collaborators at University of British Columbia and the Canadian Forest Service of a paper recently published in the journal Remote Sensing of Environment integrating Landsat composites and lidar plots to map forest biomass and other structural attributes across the Canadian boreal forest.

January 17, 2018:
The Forest Measurements & Ecology Lab is seeking 4-5 undergraduate students interested in working as summer field technicians in the Sierra Nevada and Klamath Mountains.  Please see the opportunities page for more information and how to apply. Applications will be accepted until February 16, 2018

December 12, 2017:
Hannah Morrison was awarded the Dr. Robert F. Powers Memorial Scholarship! Administered by the Forest Vegetation Management Conference, The objective of the Dr. Robert F. Powers Memorial Scholarship (scholarship) is to recognize significant contributions to active forest management through application of soil and forest science by presenting a scholarship to a Masters or Ph.D. student whose research and career focus is on active forest management issues, similar to the historical research conducted by Dr. Robert F. Powers. Congrats Hannah!

August 17, 2017:
The Forest Measurements & Ecology Lab welcomes Hannah Morrison and Chance Callahan as its first graduate students! Both Hannah and Chance are using dendrochronology to understand how thinning and prescribed burning at Teakettle Experimental Forest influences forest responses to extreme drought.

February 8, 2017:
The Forest Measurements & Ecology Lab is seeking 1-2 undergraduate students interested in working as summer field technicians in the Sierra Nevada.  Please see the opportunities page for more information and how to apply.

November 26, 2016:
The Forest Measurements & Ecology Lab is seeking 2-3 highly-motivated students interested joining the lab to pursue an MS degree in Forestry and Wildland Resources at Humboldt State University.  Please see the opportunities page for more information and how to apply.

October 14, 2016:
Dr. Zald on Oregon Field Guide, talking about the causes and consequences of disappearing meadows in Oregon. Oregon Field Guide is a weekly TV news magazine produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting that explores ecological issues, natural wonders and outdoor recreation of the Northwest.

August 5, 2016:
The Forest Measurements & Ecology Lab starts up at Humboldt State University!