In the Media

Northern Woodlands Magazine featured the story “Red Spruce Rising” in their Spring 2016 issue, highlighting exciting research from the University of Vermont and U.S. Forest Service regarding the upsurge in growth of red spruce in New England. The article follows the research of Paul Schaberg (RSENR Adjunct Associate Professor/ USDA Forest Service Plant Physiologist), Gary Hawley (RSENR Research Associate), and RSENR graduate students Brynne Lazarus and Alexandra Kosiba.

Other collaborative work by Paul Schaberg, including the establishment of a simulated ice storm study at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest Service, was covered by NSF Science Now and by New Hampshire Public Radio.

Tony D’Amato, Associate Professor in Silviculture and Applied Forest Ecology, recently co-authored a paper addressing the impacts of drought on U.S. forests at multiple-scales. The Huffington Post published an article highlighting the key findings of the research regarding how to manage forests most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The title of the article is “How Increasing Drought Threatens Most U.S. Forests and Households.”

The humanitarian mapping efforts, led by the Spatial Analysis Lab’s Noah Ahles, were featured on VPR this past April. Volunteers in Burlington aided on-the-ground relief efforts occurring in Ecuador after a 7.8 earthquake hit the country.

The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Team, which is run out of the Spatial Analysis Lab was called out to assist the state in responding to the February flooding. The UAS Team flew six missions over two days and was features on WCAX http://www.wcax.com/story/31329449/tracking-vermont-storm-damage-by-drone

Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne’s interview on drone technology for Vermont Public Radio was selected as one of the “best of” for 2015 http://digital.vpr.net/post/pattis-best-2015-drones-school-lunches-and-armenian-genocide

The UAS Team’s work assisting the Town of Plainfield with flood issues was highlighted in an article in Inside Unmanned Systems - http://insideunmannedsystems.com/data-and-images-from-uas-used-to-help-improve-bridge-design-prevent-flooding/. Also, State Senator Tim Ashe cited the UAS Team’s work in responding to the Amtrak train derailment in Northfield, VT in October 2016 as one of the positive uses of drone technology when discussing pending legislation - http://digital.vpr.net/post/bill-seeks-balance-privacy-rights-law-enforcement-needs

The Spring 2016 issue of ecoNEWS VT, released this past Arbor Day, features research and monitoring regarding Vermont’s forests. Topics in this issue include unexpected downslope movement of boreal species, forest fragmentation, sustainable tapping guidelines for maple syrup production, and use of aerial imagery in forest health monitoring.

 

Awards, Scholarships, Appointments and Accomplishments

Zac Ispa-Landa (RSENR) and Cherie Morse (Geography) received the Outstanding New Service-Learning Faculty Award by the office of Community-University Partnerships & Service-Learning. Zac Ispa Landa’s commitment to service-learning pedagogy and his accomplishments within the context of NR 206 are laudable. Having taught the course for four semesters, Zac continues to deepen its commitment to student learning and to community partner benefit.

RSENR students Emily Peterson, Leila Rezvani, and Katie Stoner have been invited to become members of Phi Beta Kappa. Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the United States. Founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary, it recognizes outstanding performance in the liberal arts and sciences.

RSENR graduate student Courtney Hammond Wagner was awarded the National Science Foundation Summer Fellowship. The East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students awarded a cohort of 15 the opportunity to travel and work at one of New Zealand’s Crowne Research Institutes. Courtney will work at the host institute, Landcare Research.  This is in partnership with the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Anna Smiles-Becker was awarded the 2016 Our Common Ground Award. This presidential award recognizes staff members who exemplify the qualities of the University of Vermont’s Our Common Ground, the statement of aspirations and shared values of our community:  Respect, Integrity, Innovation, Openness, Justice and Responsibility.

Lindsay Barbieri won the UVM GSS Innovative Research Award, while Michael Wironen was awarded a Switzer Fellowship. Lindsay and Michael are current graduate student fellows of the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics.

Jennie Stephens was one of twenty North American environmental researchers awarded the 2015-2016 Leopold Leadership Fellowships by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Fellows will receive intensive leadership training to help them engage effectively with leaders in the public and private sectors who face complex decisions about sustainability and the environment.

Kris Stepenuck was recently awarded the David N. Redell Award for Lifetime Achievement in Citizen-based Monitoring by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Kris built the Water Action Volunteers program into a hugely successful, nationally renowned program, co-authored "Exploring Streams," a stream monitoring curriculum for middle and high school students, helped found the national Citizen Science Association and serves on its board, and was a member of the Wisconsin Citizen-based Monitoring Network.

Rubenstein junior and environmental studies major, Juli Tyson, was recently promoted to head of the Green Team Department of Windsor Mountain International – a New England camp that fosters creativity and environmental education. As part of her role, Juli will supervise a team of environmental educators.

RSENR’s Spatial Analysis Laboratory (SAL) now employees over 40 part-time undergraduate students. The students participate in a variety of research endeavors from analyzing tree canopy in the Chicago region to mapping land cover in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to responding to natural disasters throughout the state as part of UVM’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Team, which is based in the SAL.

The SAL has organized two humanitarian mapping parties this year. Lead by RSENR Geospatial Specialist Noah Ahles, the mapping parties bring students and community members together to update online digital mapping databases, which are used to improve humanitarian responses to crises around the world.

Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne, Director of the Spatial Analysis Lab, assumed the role of the Chair of the Board of Directors for AmericaView, a nationwide consortium funded by the USGS that focuses on remote sensing research, education, and outreach.

RSENR graduate students made December a good month for Vermont conservation.

Field research by graduate students Kathryn Wrigley, Joanne Garton and Kat Deely helped to conserve over 4000 acres in Vermont this past December. Kathryn and Joanne's Field Final research (aka comprehensive exam) demonstrated their skills in rapid ecological assessment of 470 acres of land formerly owned by the Ascutney Mountain Resort. Using their work to appreciate better the value of the parcel, the Town of West Windsor purchased the land and combined it with a donated easement on their nearby Town Forest to protect a total of 1,580 acres.  Partners included the Trust for Public Land, Upper Valley Land Trust, and the VT Housing & Conservation Board. 

Kat Deely's master’s project involved a comprehensive ecological study of 2,675 acres of the Merck Forest.  As reported in the Manchester Journal "An ecological assessment completed by the University of Vermont Field Naturalist [and Ecological Planning] Program helped the Merck trustees determine the best ways to protect the natural resources of the land as part of a long-range planning process. Along with thousands of acres of well-managed forest, wildlife habitat, and diverse natural features, more than 200 acres of quality farm soils were conserved." The Merck Forest & Farmland Center donated a conservation easement to be held by the Vermont Land Trust. Donald Campbell of Merck said of Kat's work "the report done for Merck by Kat Deely was the watershed moment when their board started getting onboard."

Field research done by RSENR graduate students over the past few decades have contributed to tens of thousands of conserved acres across the country.

 

Publications

Tony D’Amato

Gill, K. G., A. W. D’Amato, and S. Fraver. 2015. Multiple developmental pathways for range-margin Pinus banksiana forests. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 46:200-214.

Fassnacht, K.S., D.R. Bronson, B.J. Palik, A.W. D'Amato, C.G. Lorimer, and K.J. Martin. 2015. Accelerating the development of old-growth characteristics in second-growth northern hardwoods. USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station GTR NRS-144. 33

Clark, J. S., Iverson, L., Woodall, C. W., Allen, C. D., Bell, D. M., Bragg, D. C., D'Amato, A. W., Davis, F. W., Hersh, M. H., Ibanez, I., Jackson, S. T., Matthews, S., Pederson, N., Peters, M., Schwartz, M. W., Waring, K. M. and Zimmermann, N. E. (2016), The impacts of increasing drought on forest dynamics, structure, and biodiversity in the United States. Glob Change Biol. doi:10.1111/gcb.13160

Pszwaro, J. L., A. W. D’Amato, T. E. Burk, M. B. Russell, B. J. Palik, and T. F. Strong. 2016. Analysis of stand basal area development of thinned and unthinned Acer rubrum forests in the upper Great Lakes region, USA. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 46:645-655.

Fassnacht, K.S., D.R. Bronson, B.J. Palik, A.W. D'Amato, C.G. Lorimer, and K.J. Martin. 2015. Accelerating the development of old-growth characteristics in second-growth northern hardwoods. USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station GTR NRS-144. 33 p.

Jennie Stephens

Pearl-Martinez, R. and J. Stephens (2016). "Toward a Gender Diverse Workforce in the Renewable Energy Transition." Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy 12(1).

Breck Bowden

Abbott, B.W., Jones, J.B., Schuur, E.A., Chapin III, F.S., Bowden, W.B., Bret-Harte, M.S., Epstein, H.E., Flannigan, M.D., Harms, T.K., Hollingsworth, T.N. and Mack, M.C., 2016. Biomass offsets little or none of permafrost carbon release from soils, streams, and wildfire: an expert assessment. Environmental Research Letters, 11(3), p.034014.

Brian Mitchell

Kershenbaum, A., Root-Gutteridge, H., Habib, B., Koler-Matznick, J., Mitchell, B., Palacios, V. and Waller, S., 2016. Disentangling canid howls across multiple species and subspecies: structure in a complex communication channel. Behavioural Processes.

Patricia Stokowski

Collaboration and Conflict in the Adirondack Park: An Analysis of Conservation Discourses Over Time

Jeffrey M. O’Donnell and Patricia A. Stokowski

Society and Natural Resources, published on-line, March 2016

Jed Murdoch

Lkhagvasuren, M., J. Murdoch, T. Munkhzul, and A. Strong.  2016.  Predicting the effects of habitat loss on corsac fox occupancy in Mongolia.  Journal of Mammalogy, in press.  DOI:10.1093/jmammal/gyw067

Bill Keeton and Garret Meigs

Meigs GW, Campbell JL, Zald HSJ, Keeton WS, Kennedy RE. 2016. Do insect outbreaks decrease the severity of subsequent forest fires? Environmental Research Letters – Invited contribution to special focus issue on changing fire regimes.

 

Presentations and Conferences

Kris Stepenuck

Kris Stepenuck delivered the keynote address at the opening session of the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership Convention in Stevens Point, WI on March 31. Kris spoke about volunteer water monitoring and the types of outcomes for natural resource policy and management that have resulted in these citizen science programs across the United States.

Bill Keeton and Garret Meigs

Meigs GW, Bailey JD, Campbell JL, Keeton WS, Kennedy RE, Zald HSJ. April 2016. Forest disturbance interactions: Do insect outbreaks tax or subsidize the activity of subsequent wildfires? Harvard Forest Seminar. Petersham, MA

Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne

Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne, Director of the Spatial Analysis Lab, presented on how Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are being used to help Vermont better respond to disasters at the Governor’s Emergency Preparedness Advisory Committee meeting on January 26th.

Ellen Marsden

Binder, T., S. Riley, M Ebener, J. E. Marsden, C. Krueger.  Lake-wide movment patters of two lake trout populations in Lake Juron: unplanned benefits of participation in GLATOS.  GLATOS workshop, Ann Arbor, Feb9-10

Pinheiro, Tori, and J. E. Marsden.  Lakewide fidelity to spawning reefs by lake trout in Lake Champlain GLATOS workshop, Ann Arbor MI, Feb.

Marsden, J. E., Carrie Kozel, Bethany Alger, Levi Brown. Evidence of lake trout recruitment in Lake Champlain: is this the beginning?  NY American Fisheries Society Conference, Cooperstown, NY, Feb.

Marsden, J. E.  Colonization of newly constructed reefs by spawning lake trout takes time.  GLATOS workshop, Ann Arbor MI, Feb.

Jennie Stephens

Stephens, JC. 2016. Implementing Energy System Change: The Renewable Energy Transition. National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine. Washington DC. April 28, 2016

Stephens, JC. 2016. Innovations in Energy-Climate Education: Integrating
Engineering & Social Sciences. Carnegie Mellon University. Pittsburgh, PA. April 15, 2016

Stephens, JC. 2016 Energy Democracy and Gender Diversity in the Energy Transition. Santa Fe Institute. Santa Fe, New Mexico, March 30, 2016

Stephens, JC. 2016. The Renewable Energy Transition and Smart Grid: Toward Energy Democracy. Rutgers Energy Institute, New Brunswick, New Jersey. March 4, 2016

Stephens, JC 2016. Smart Grid and the Renewable Energy Transition: Evolution or Revolution?  National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine. Washington DC. February 8, 2016

Stephens, JC. 2016. The Renewable Energy Transition and Smart Grid: Evolution or Revolution? Northeastern University, Boston MA USA, January 25, 2016

Stephens, JC. 2015 Energy System Planning Post-Superstorm Sandy: Analysis of Climate and Energy Discourse. UMass Boston, November 18, 2015

Stephens, JC. 2015. Energy Systems for Resilience. Policy Research Summit on Economics. University of Vermont. Burlington, VT. November 17, 2015

Stephens, JC. R Pearl-Martinez. 2015. Gender & Cultural Change in the Renewable Energy Transition: Distributing the Power for Social Change. Society for Social Studies of Science (4S). Denver Colorado, USA. November 11-14, 2015

Stephens, JC. 2015. Fossil Fuel Divestment: A Destablization Strategy in the Renewable Energy Transition. Ontario Network for Sustainable Energy Policy. October 29, 2015

Stephens, JC. 2015. Vermont and the Renewable Energy Transition. Vermont Agency for Natural Resources. Montpelier, VT. USA. October 21, 2015

Stephens, JC. 2015. Linking the Renewable Transition and Reduced Consumption: Contrasts within Germany and the USA. Workshop on “Renewable Energy Transitions & Sustainable Consumption Workshop” Luxembourg. June 26-29, 2015

Stephens, JC. 2015. Smart Grid and the Renewable Energy Transition: Evolution or Revolution?  Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. June 24, 2015