Gila National Forest hosts ponderosa pine regeneration presentations

Category: Local News Releases Local News Releases
Published: 11 April 2023 11 April 2023

Public invited to join lunch and learn presentations from PhD student Kevin Willson

SILVER CITY, NM, April 11, 2023 – The Gila National Forest will host two “lunch and learn” events April 18 and 19, featuring Kevin Willson, who will discuss his research into ponderosa pine regeneration following high-severity fire. His study examines how wind, slope, and residual live trees affect recovery of ponderosa pine stands in fire scars.

Kevin Willson is a PhD student in the Hurteau Earth Systems Ecology Lab at the University of New Mexico. He is studying the effects of fire in ponderosa pine ecosystems. His research examines large, high severity burn patches on the Gila National Forest to explore how different factors influence ponderosa pine regeneration. He sampled multiple high severity burn patches in the Bonner, Divide, Glass, Shelly, and Torres fire footprints to better understand how prevailing wind direction, slope, and relative position of lives trees influence the density of forest regeneration.

High severity patches exhibited greater regeneration density in areas positioned downwind and downslope of intact forest, as compared to locations in upwind or upslope positions. Accounting for wind, topography, and relative position of the live trees improved the accuracy of regeneration density estimates relative to using only distance from the unburned forest edge.

“This work highlights the effect of landscape features on restoration of forest cover after high severity fire and can help inform projections of future stand development in ponderosa pine ecosystems,” said Gila National Forest Supervisor, Camille Howes. “I am excited to host these presentations and learn more about this research.”

Kevin will present his highly relevant and timely research at noon on April 18, 2023, at the Gila National Forest Supervisor’s Office, located at 3005 E. Camino del Bosque in Silver City and at noon on April 19 at the Reserve District Office, located at 5 Smokey Bear Circle in Reserve. These in-person events are open to the public. Please provide your own lunch. For more information contact Maribeth Pecotte at 575-388-8211 or Maribeth.Pecotte@usda.gov. 

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.