Research Activities
FER Home : Forest Ecology & Management : Research Activities
FER’s forest ecology and management research activities are on-going and extensive. They cover all facets of the basic sciences and management techniques affecting forest ecosystems. These projects not only further knowledge within the field of forest ecology and management, they also provide an opportunity for students to build their skills of inquiry and to collaborate with professionals from other departments and organizations.
FER’s research contributions to the field of forest ecology and management include major discoveries in the areas of genetics, intensive pine management, environmental sciences, ecosystem management, restoration, conservation, economics and much more. Just as important, we have trained generations of researchers in forest ecology and management over the years, including many of the men and women now heading up leading companies, laboratories and non-profit organizations in this field.
Much of our nationally-recognized research is conducted through the NC Agricultural Research Service. We work also closely with such organizations as the NC Division of Forest Resources, US Forest Service, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Resources, NC’s Wildlife Resources Commission and a host of private, public and non-profit research partners. Most of our research is conducted in one or more of our many Forests & Facilities.
Working with our research partners, our forest ecology and management experts are uncovering new knowledge in forest ecology, analysis, the preservation and management of forests and resident animal and plant populations, habitat interrelationships, the application of new sciences such as geographic imaging to forest management and much more. We are also developing and employing original approaches in quantitative analysis, economics, experimental design, field studies, modeling and genetic techniques as they relate to forest ecology and management.
The ultimate goal of our research efforts is to use basic and applied research to solve important challeges related to the biology, conservation, management, and uses of forest resources — and to distribute these results throughout the industry, public sector and to private citizens as a way to share best practives in forest ecology and management.
