Research - Forest Science

Advance basic knowledge of forest ecosystems, as well as the physiology, genetics, and growth of hardwood trees, to provide for the health and sustained productivity of the forests of the Central Hardwood Region, both in rural and urban settings.

Faculty
Dr. Songlin Fei
Spatial analysis and pattern recognition, invasive species distribution modeling and forest ecosystem dynamic modeling

Dr. Matt Ginzel
Chemically mediated host location and colonization behavior of wood-boring insects

Dr. Brady Hardiman

Ecosystem responses to anthropogenic modification including disturbance, management, land-use change associated with urbanization, remote sensing, and ecosystem modeling.

Dr. Douglass Jacobs
Forest tree regeneration including nursery culture, outplanting and early stand management

Dr. Michael Jenkins
Effects of invasive species on ecosystem structure and function, forest ecosystem response to disturbances

Dr. Michael Saunders
Disturbance-based silviculture/ecological forestry, restoration ecology in forested systems

Dr. Patrick Zollner
Behavioral eco​logy of ecological landscapes, forest management in changing landscapes, animal movements

Areas of Specialization

  • Forest Ecology
  • Forest Soils
  • Silviculture
  • Tree Physiology
  • Urban Forestry

Learn More About Our Research

View our nine research areas along with our world-class faculty.

There has been substantial debate in recent months about how to best manage Indiana’s state forests. Unfortunately, some information presented about forest management on the web, in letters to state government, and in op-ed articles to newspapers and other outlets has included statements that are not consistent with results from decades of forest and wildlife research. We believe that the public-policy debate on forest management in Indiana would benefit from clarification of key concepts and what research findings have generally concluded.

Purdue centers seek to support and enhance the research and partnership enterprise at Purdue University. The centers are valued and encouraged at Purdue as they create a venue for faculty to come together to pursue common goals. Forestry and Natural Resources have faculty and staff involved in six centers here at the University.

The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources maintains an impressive collection of state-of-the-art research and education facilities. These labs, green houses, and educational facilities are a fundamental component that enables our faculty and students to learn, make new discoveries, and engage our clients in using these discoveries to sustain our nation’s ecosystems and natural resources.​

The mission of the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources is to develop and disseminate knowledge in the natural resource sciences associated with the protection, management, and sustainable use of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. One way the department accomplishes our mission is by owning and managing 24 properties located throughout the state to provide opportunities for research, extension, and education that achieves sustainable use of our natural resources.

See Our Forest Science Stories

Dr. Vikram Chhatre doing field work
Dr. Vikram Chattre Hired as Forest Service Research Geneticist

Dr. Vikram Chhatre is joining the Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center (HTIRC) and...

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Master's student Tori Hongo backpacking in the Smoky Mountains
FNR Field Report: Tori Hongo

Tori Hongo spent the summer doing research on the spruce-fir forest in the Smoky Mountains as...

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Professor Emeritus Harvey Holt throughout his career
Tales from FNR with Professor Emeritus Harvey Holt

When Dr. Harvey Holt came to Purdue’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources in 1975...

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Group of students on Smoky Mountain trip.
Smoky Mountain Trip Gives Students In-Person Look at Disturbance Ecology

Over Spring Break, members of the FNR 53600 Ecology of Disturbance course headed to the Great...

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Students at the Natural Resources Teachers Institute, researchers working on a progeny project with the Tropical HTIRC, man on a boat emptying water from crane
2021 Year in Review: The Collaboration

The Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources aims to spread the word about cutting...

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Shaneka Lawson pictured with REEU interns and members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Lawson Receives Forest Service Cultural Diversity Award

Dr. Shaneka Lawson, a USDA Forest Service Research Plant Physiologist and FNR adjunct assistant...

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