FINDING CLUES FOR THE FORESTS OF THE FUTURE �ASSESSING FOREST RESILIENCE AND RESPONSE TO DISTURBANCE IN CALIFORNIA AND THE WEST

The overarching goal of this research project is to inform forest management decisions relating to disturbance mitigation and preventing tree mortality, and assess the potential for improved forest management to contribute to increasingandsustainingforest carbon stocks in the working forests of California.We are interested in looking at drivers of tree mortality such as bark beetle attacks, disease, fire, drought, and increasing temperatures to better understand the interactions and damages done by these stressors; we also hope to connect these disturbance findings to forest management decisions such as thinning.Objectives:As a research group made up of academics, research practitioners and land managers, we will address the following questions: 1) which types of forest management activities increase forest carbon stocks, 2) which types of forest management activities are most effective in reducing flammable fuel densities on forestland and if is there a conflict between managing for carbon and fuel management, and finally, 3) which forest management practices should be called improved forest management in the California forest context. Using these questions as guidance, this research project is divided into three principal objectives.1) Part I - Modeling forest carbon stocks - quantitative estimates of carbon sequestration potential under contrasting forest management scenarios in California. (Year 1)2) PART II - Assessing the effects of fire and fuel management on forest carbon stocks using FIA-dataand FVS-modeling. (Years 1-3)3) PART III - Defining improved forest management in California - thinning for forest and carbon resiliency. (Years 1-3)