Linking Forest Form, Fire, and Function: A Critical Evaluation of the Role of Fire in Promoting Forest Resilience
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Prescribed fire for Forest Management Webinar Series
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 - 10am PT/1pm ET
Presenter: Jed Meunier, Ph.D., Ecologist and Research Scientist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Division of Forestry
Heterogeneous spatial patterns are an important characteristic of forests and central to forest functioning and resilience. Old forests typically have complex structures and provide useful starting points from which to understand processes assembling forest communities and in turn managing for resilience. In the U.S. Lake States, extant old growth forests are rare, especially dry, frequent fire forest types.
This talk details results from a study aimed at using alternative silviculture and burning to restore spatial patterning and forest function and reduce wildfire hazard across three study sites (ca. 100 ha) in Wisconsin, USA. We analyzed components (e.g., canopy characteristics) and spatial patterning (tree density, arrangement) of old growth red pine stands across Minnesota and Wisconsin for developing metrics of silviculture prescriptions.
Historically, these forests had complex spatial arrangements and contained a diversity of size, age, height, and canopy structures. We used these baseline data to implement prescriptions for management in a block design comparing burned and unburned controls, regular thinning, and Individuals, Clumps, and Openings (ICO) based harvest. We offer both a reference point, and basis of management for dry, red pine dominated forest types across the Lake States to maintain or restore more spatially complex forests.
Jed is an ecologist whose work is focused on interactions of disturbance, climate, and forest structure. His background and interest reflect integrated approaches aimed at understanding mechanisms for ecosystem changes across scales through applied research. Jed has his MS in Wildlife Ecology (UW- Madison) and a Ph.D. in Ecology (Colorado State University) and is a researcher with the Wisconsin DNR.
