After the Ice: How Forests Survive – and Recover From – Devastating Ice Storms

SUMMER LECTURE SERIES – Rooted in Research: Decades of Forest Discovery
After the Ice: How Forests Survive – and Recover From – Devastating Ice Storms
by Lindsey Rustad, Research Ecologist, USDA Forest Service and Faculty Associate, University of Maine
 

Ice storms can coat trees in heavy ice, snapping limbs and causing widespread damage. As the climate changes, these events may become more frequent and more severe. To better understand their impact, scientists deliberately simulated major ice storms at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and have spent nearly a decade tracking how the forest responds and recovers. Come hear what they've discovered, and what it means for forests across the Northeast.
 

Bio: Lindsey Rustad is a Research Ecologist, recently retired from USDA Forest Service. She also serves as Faculty Associate at the University of Maine. Dr. Rustad earned her B.A. in Philosophy from Cornell University, M.S. in Forest Science from the Yale School of the Environment, and PhD in Plant Science from the University of Maine. Her areas of expertise include forest soils, biogeochemistry, climate change impacts, advanced environmental sensor systems, and the integration of Art and Science.