Thomas Spies

The Pacific Northwest has millions of acres of unlogged mature and old-growth forests. We have learned much about their ecology and conservation after more than four decades of research and efforts to conserve them.  In this talk, Spies highlighted some of the distinctive features of the structure, composition, functions and dynamics of these ecologically diverse, centuries-old forests.  

Speaker Biography

Thomas Spies is Emeritus Scientist with the USDA Forest Service, PNW Research Station.  He is also courtesy professor in the College of Forestry, Oregon State University.  He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.  He has over 45 years of research experience in forests of the Pacific Northwest, Australia, the Lake States, and New England. His areas of expertise include forest ecology, wildfire, effects of forest management on wildfire and wildlife habitat, conservation of old-growth forests, and socio-ecological systems.