Jessica Halofsky

My research is focused on assessing potential effects of climate change on forest vegetation and disturbance regimes, using both modelling and field-based approaches. I also facilitate development of climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans for national forests and other partners across the western United States. My recent focus has been on developing tools to facilitate application of vulnerability assessment and adaptation information in management processes.

My past work explored controls on fire severity and post-fire vegetation recovery in riparian areas, and the effects of alternative planting practices on surface coal mines reclaimed with municipal biosolids.

• Fire and disturbance ecology
• Vegetation dynamics
• Climate change effects on forests
• Climate change vulnerability assessment
• Climate change adaptation

Climate change is likely to be a major challenge for natural resource managers in the coming decades. Understanding potential effects of climate change on vegetation, disturbance regimes, and other ecosystem attributes and processes is critical for land managers to develop adaptive strategies and minimize the negative effects of climate change on ecosystems and the services they provide.