Possible Areas of Focus

Biometrics and Ecological Modeling

Variation is a fundamental characteristic of natural systems, from vegetation assemblages to wildlife communities.  Today’s resource professionals and researchers need efficient methods for describing and interpreting patterns of variability in a broad array of ecosystem attributes.  Faculty and students in this area focus on the development and application of statistical and analytical methods for assessing the status and trajectory of terrestrial ecosystems across a range of spatial and temporal scales.

Faculty:

Affleck, David - Associate Professor of Forest Biometrics; Director of the Inland Northwest Growth & Yield Cooperative
Dobrowski, Solomon - Associate Professor of Forest Landscape Ecology
Jencso, Kelsey - Assistant Professor, Watershed Hydrologist
Running, Steve - Regents Professor of Ecology; Chair, Department of Ecosystems & Conservation Sciences; Director, Numerical Terradynamics Simulation Group

Climate Change

Climate change research is rapidly emerging as a focus of interest among natural resource professionals.  Understanding climate change involves investigating the ecological, social, and political aspects of global warming.  CFC Faculty and student research in this area examines how different ecosystems and human communities are responding to climate change, and how to create effective policies and restoration projects to address climate change.

Faculty:

Affleck, David - Associate Professor of Forest Biometrics; Director of the Inland Northwest Growth & Yield Cooperative
Ballantyne , Ashley - Assistant Professor of Bioclimatology 
Cleveland , Cory - Associate Professor of Terrestrial Biogeochemistry
Dobrowski, Solomon - Associate Professor of Forest Landscape Ecology
Freimund, Wayne - Professor, Protected Area Management; Director, Wilderness Institute; Chair, Department of Society & Conservation
Hebblewhite , Mark - Associate Professor of Ungulate Habitat Ecology 
Jencso, Kelsey - Assistant Professor, Watershed Hydrologist
Phear, Nicky - Climate Change Studies Instructor and Program Coordinator 
Running, Steve - Regents Professor of Ecology; Chair, Department of Ecosystems & Conservation Sciences; Director, Numerical Terradynamics Simulation Group
Seielstad, Carl - Associate Research Professor; Fire/Fuels Program Manager, National Center for Landscape Fire Analysis 
Six , Diana - Professor of Forest Entomology/Pathology 
Venn , Tyron - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Economics 
Yung, Laurie - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Social Science; Program Director, Resource Conservation Major

Community-Based Conservation

Community based engagement in conservation and natural resource management ranges from place-based collaboration and co-management of protected areas to community forestry and emerging institutions such as community-owned forests. CFC faculty and students working in this area seek to understand, facilitate, and evaluate these types of conservation efforts.

Faculty:

Belsky, Jill M. - Professor of Rural & Environmental Sociology; Director, Bolle Center for People & Forests
Bosak, Keith - Associate Professor of Nature Based Tourism and Recreation; Program Director, Parks, Tourism, & Recreation Management Major
Burchfield, James - Dean of College of Forestry & Conservation; Professor of Forest Social Sciences 
Dodson, Beth - Associate Professor of Integrated Natural Resource; Program Director, Forestry Major
Larson, Andrew - Assistant Professor of Forest Ecology
Metcalf, Alexander L. - Assistant Research Professor; Assistant Director, 
Metcalf, Elizabeth Covelli - Assistant Professor of Parks Tourism & Recreation Management 
Siebert, Stephen F. - Professor of Tropical Forest Conservation and Management 
Venn , Tyron - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Economics 
Yung, Laurie - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Social Science; Program Director, Resource Conservation Major

Fire Science

Faculty:

Kolb, Peter - Associate Professor of Forest Ecology & Management
Larson, Andrew - Assistant Professor of Forest Ecology
Nelson, Cara - Associate Professor of Restoration Ecology; Program Director, Wildland Restoration Major
Queen, LLoyd Paul - Professor of Remote Sensing; Director, National Center for Landscape Fire Analysis 
Seielstad, Carl - Associate Research Professor; Fire/Fuels Program Manager, National Center for Landscape Fire Analysis 
Six , Diana - Professor of Forest Entomology/Pathology 
Wakimoto , Ronald - Professor of Forest Fire Science 

Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology

Graduate students in Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology are trained to link knowledge of population and community ecology to current issues in fish and aquatic conservation and management.  Many students take a multi-disciplinary approach interfacing among the traditional fields of aquatic and population ecology, population genetics, watershed science, and natural resource management.  The scope of aquatic systems ranges from watersheds, rivers and lakes, to estuarine and biotic communities therein.

Faculty:

Eby , Lisa - Associate Professor of Aquatic Vertebrate Ecology 
Jencso, Kelsey - Assistant Professor, Watershed Hydrologist

Forest Ecology and Soils

The forests of the northern Rockies are an ideal laboratory to learn ecological principles.  We span the sensitive grassland-forest and temperate-boreal forest ecotones, and a diverse geological backdrop which provides an ideal system to test relationships between belowground processes and forest ecosystem function.  Using a suite of analytical approaches, forest ecology and soils research in our College seeks to understand how forest biodiversity, structure and function respond to historical disturbances and management practices and how contemporary stressors such as climate change, exotic species invasions, changes in nutrient availability, and changes in fire regimes may affect forests across a broad range of spatial scales.  Our natural laboratory also extends to tropical and to temperate forests worldwide, allowing us to test the generality of the ecological patterns and phenomena that we observe.

Faculty:

Ballantyne , Ashley - Assistant Professor of Bioclimatology 
Cleveland , Cory - Associate Professor of Terrestrial Biogeochemistry
Dobrowski, Solomon - Associate Professor of Forest Landscape Ecology
Goodburn, John - Associate Professor of Silviculture
Jencso, Kelsey - Assistant Professor, Watershed Hydrologist
Keyes, Christopher R. - Associate Research Professor of Silviculture
Kolb, Peter - Associate Professor of Forest Ecology & Management
Larson, Andrew - Assistant Professor of Forest Ecology
Nelson, Cara - Associate Professor of Restoration Ecology; Program Director, Wildland Restoration Major
Siebert, Stephen F. - Professor of Tropical Forest Conservation and Management 
Six , Diana - Professor of Forest Entomology/Pathology 

Forest Entomology and Pathology

CFC has emphasized various aspects of bark beetle ecology and management, including investigations into the interactions of bark beetles with fire and interactions among an exotic pathogen (white pine blister rust) and a native insect (the mountain pine beetle in high elevation whitebark pine ecosystems and effects of climate change on beetle-fungus symbioses.

Faculty:

Six , Diana - Professor of Forest Entomology/Pathology 

Forest Management

Our forest management research focuses on developing innovative science, silvicultural strategies, and decision support tools to address challenges facing sustainable land management in the Northern Rockies and beyond.  Our research examines regeneration, growth and competition relationships, fuel dynamics and fire hazard reduction, economics, roads and harvesting systems, as well as developing novel geospatial technologies and sampling strategies.

Faculty:

Affleck, David - Associate Professor of Forest Biometrics; Director of the Inland Northwest Growth & Yield Cooperative
Chung , Woodam - Associate Professor of Forest Operations 
Cleveland , Cory - Associate Professor of Terrestrial Biogeochemistry
Dodson, Beth - Associate Professor of Integrated Natural Resource; Program Director, Forestry Major
Goodburn, John - Associate Professor of Silviculture
Jencso, Kelsey - Assistant Professor, Watershed Hydrologist
Keyes, Christopher R. - Associate Research Professor of Silviculture
Kolb, Peter - Associate Professor of Forest Ecology & Management
Larson, Andrew - Assistant Professor of Forest Ecology
Metcalf, Alexander L. - Assistant Research Professor; Assistant Director, 
Nelson, Cara - Associate Professor of Restoration Ecology; Program Director, Wildland Restoration Major
Six , Diana - Professor of Forest Entomology/Pathology 
Venn , Tyron - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Economics 

Forest Operations

Research and graduate education in Forest Operations provides students with opportunities to study and understand practical forest management activities and their financial, environmental and socio-economic effects.  Research areas include timber harvesting and management operations, forest roads and transportation, forest restoration, biomass utilization, forest planning and decision sciences, and GIS and remote sensing applications in forestry.

Faculty:

Chung , Woodam - Associate Professor of Forest Operations 
Dodson, Beth - Associate Professor of Integrated Natural Resource; Program Director, Forestry Major

Graduate Programs in Wood Science/Forest Products Technology

Graduate studies in Wood Science and Forest Products Technology at the University of Montana are focused on the determination of fundamental properties of solid wood and composites as well as the development of new products, processes and applications for wood-based materials.  Projects as diverse as investigating the effects of early-stage decay on the bending properties of structural timbers, the ultrastructural characteristics of wood-plate furniture joints and the effect of double-threaded screw fasteners on vertical settlement in log walls.  The Wood Science Laboratory is an International Accreditation Service-accredited laboratory where industrial clients bring their products for research, development and qualification testing.  Students have the opportunity to combine fundamental research with practical application scenarios in a rigorous, ISO-compliant setting.  Students from several countries have taken advantage of the University’s location in the heart of the region’s wood products industry, to make the most of their graduate education in this demanding field.

Faculty:

Burke, Edwin - Professor of Wood Science & Technology; Chair, Department of Forest Management

Graduate Education Opportunities in GIS and Remote Sensing

The CFC has a dozen faculty and 25 graduate students involved in the application of these technologies to natural resource problems.  Particular areas of expertise are fire sciences, hydrology, forest operations, ecosystem modeling and landscape dynamics related to climate change.  The CFC boasts state of the science facilities and maintains close working partnerships with local, state, national and international organizations such as NASA and the USDA Forest Service.

Faculty:

Affleck, David - Associate Professor of Forest Biometrics; Director of the Inland Northwest Growth & Yield Cooperative
Chung , Woodam - Associate Professor of Forest Operations 
Dobrowski, Solomon - Associate Professor of Forest Landscape Ecology
Dodson, Beth - Associate Professor of Integrated Natural Resource; Program Director, Forestry Major
Jencso, Kelsey - Assistant Professor, Watershed Hydrologist
Metcalf, Alexander L. - Assistant Research Professor; Assistant Director, 
Queen, LLoyd Paul - Professor of Remote Sensing; Director, National Center for Landscape Fire Analysis 
Seielstad, Carl - Associate Research Professor; Fire/Fuels Program Manager, National Center for Landscape Fire Analysis 

International Conservation and Development Option (M.S. in RSCN)

ICD option allows graduate students to pursue integrated ecological and social studies of international conservation and development, and to apply that knowledge through international field work.  ICD studies involves completion of an core curriculum (12 credits), additional coursework in a specific area of academic and professional interest, and completion of an international assignment with the Peace Corps or an international organization.

Faculty:

Belsky, Jill M. - Professor of Rural & Environmental Sociology; Director, Bolle Center for People & Forests
Bosak, Keith - Associate Professor of Nature Based Tourism and Recreation; Program Director, Parks, Tourism, & Recreation Management Major
Freimund, Wayne - Professor, Protected Area Management; Director, Wilderness Institute; Chair, Department of Society & Conservation
Siebert, Stephen F. - Professor of Tropical Forest Conservation and Management 
Venn , Tyron - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Economics 
Yung, Laurie - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Social Science; Program Director, Resource Conservation Major

Natural Resource Policy and Conflict Resolution

Students in our program can explore political conflict associated with natural resource issues.  CFC faculty research interests include public lands governance, wildlife policy, science policy, and contemporary strategies and tools for conservation policy.  In addition to coursework on topics such as federal lands, resource management, property ownership, and wildlife policy, students can also pursue a special certificate in natural resource conflict resolution.

Faculty:

Burchfield, James - Dean of College of Forestry & Conservation; Professor of Forest Social Sciences 
Metcalf, Alexander L. - Assistant Research Professor; Assistant Director, 
Nie, Martin - Professor, Natural Resource Policy
Patterson, Michael - Associate Dean of College of Forestry & Conservation
Venn , Tyron - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Economics 
Yung, Laurie - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Social Science; Program Director, Resource Conservation Major

Recreation and Tourism Management

Our focus is on wildland recreation and nature-based tourism.  Past CFC research projects range from studying visitor experiences in Yellowstone National Park, the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area to transportation planning for Glacier National Park to the use of self-guided GPS multi-media technology at Cedar Breaks National Monument to the ITRR studies of nature-based tourism in Montana.

Faculty:

Borrie , Bill - Professor of Park and Recreation Management 
Bosak, Keith - Associate Professor of Nature Based Tourism and Recreation; Program Director, Parks, Tourism, & Recreation Management Major
Freimund, Wayne - Professor, Protected Area Management; Director, Wilderness Institute; Chair, Department of Society & Conservation
Metcalf, Elizabeth Covelli - Assistant Professor of Parks Tourism & Recreation Management 
Nickerson, Norma - Research Professor; Director of Institute for Tourism & Recreation Research
Patterson, Michael - Associate Dean of College of Forestry & Conservation
Venn , Tyron - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Economics 

Restoration

Ecological restoration is one of the most rapidly growing field of research and employment in natural resources.  CFC faculty represent a diverse array of interests in this area ranging from the effects of disturbance on ecological processes in forests and watersheds to the efficacy of management activities for restorating ecological integrity and wildlife habitat connectivity in degraded landscapes.

Faculty:

Cleveland , Cory - Associate Professor of Terrestrial Biogeochemistry
Dodson, Beth - Associate Professor of Integrated Natural Resource; Program Director, Forestry Major
Jencso, Kelsey - Assistant Professor, Watershed Hydrologist
Kolb, Peter - Associate Professor of Forest Ecology & Management
Krausman, Paul - Boone and Crockett Professor of Wildlife Conservation
Larson, Andrew - Assistant Professor of Forest Ecology
Nelson, Cara - Associate Professor of Restoration Ecology; Program Director, Wildland Restoration Major
Six , Diana - Professor of Forest Entomology/Pathology 

Social, Political and Economic Aspects of Conservation

CFC Social science faculty bring a broad array of disciplinary backgrounds to the study of natural resource issues including economics, geography, political science, sociology, and environmental and social psychology.  This provides students access to a diverse set of analytic tools and approaches for examining human-environment relations.  Past projects in this area includes research on the role of planning in rural communities; how landowner views and practices affect conservation, public trust in managing agencies; and public perceptions of wildlife, fire, and environmental change.

Faculty:

Belsky, Jill M. - Professor of Rural & Environmental Sociology; Director, Bolle Center for People & Forests
Borrie , Bill - Professor of Park and Recreation Management 
Bosak, Keith - Associate Professor of Nature Based Tourism and Recreation; Program Director, Parks, Tourism, & Recreation Management Major
Burchfield, James - Dean of College of Forestry & Conservation; Professor of Forest Social Sciences 
Metcalf, Alexander L. - Assistant Research Professor; Assistant Director, 
Metcalf, Elizabeth Covelli - Assistant Professor of Parks Tourism & Recreation Management 
Nie, Martin - Professor, Natural Resource Policy
Patterson, Michael - Associate Dean of College of Forestry & Conservation
Venn , Tyron - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Economics 
Yung, Laurie - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Social Science; Program Director, Resource Conservation Major

Watershed Management and Hydrology

Hydrology is concerned with the origin, distribution and movement of surface and subsurface waters.  Forest and wildland hydrology are sub-disciplines of hydrology that assess and deal with the cumulative effects of land management on water quantity and quality.  Watershed management employs preventative strategies to guide sustainable development of natural resources in order to produce desired goods and services without adverse impacts to land and water resources.

Faculty:
Jencso, Kelsey - Assistant Professor, Watershed Hydrologist

Wilderness, Parks and Protected Area Studies

Research in protected area management examines the role of parks, wilderness, and other protected lands in the U.S. and abroad.  Past CFC projects have examined community relationships with protected areas, institutional arrangements and policy frameworks, visitor experience and tourism, resource use and ecosystem restoration, and political conflict.

Faculty:

Belsky, Jill M. - Professor of Rural & Environmental Sociology; Director, Bolle Center for People & Forests
Borrie , Bill - Professor of Park and Recreation Management 
Freimund, Wayne - Professor, Protected Area Management; Director, Wilderness Institute; Chair, Department of Society & Conservation
Larson, Andrew - Assistant Professor of Forest Ecology
Metcalf, Elizabeth Covelli - Assistant Professor of Parks Tourism & Recreation Management 
Yung, Laurie - Associate Professor of Natural Resource Social Science; Program Director, Resource Conservation Major

Wildlife Biology

The Wildlife Biology Program provides students with an extensive knowledge in ecology, population biology, wildlife biology, and critical thinking and quantitative skills so students become leaders in bringing science to the dynamic management of wildlife and fish populations and their habitat, communities, and ecosystems.  The program is a joint offering by the College of Forestry and Conservation, Division of Biological Sciences, and the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit.

Faculty:

Krausman, Paul - Boone and Crockett Professor of Wildlife Conservation
Naugle , Dave - Professor Large Scale Wildlife Ecology