U of I Experts: Multifaceted Approaches to Researching Devastating Wildfires

Newswise — Wildfires continue to rage in various regions, forcing residents to evacuate and leading to widespread smoke cover and poor air quality.

University of Idaho has expert faculty members available to discuss various aspects of the wildfires.

Alistair Smith, professor and chair of the Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences, is an expert in forest fire ecology, fire behavior and smoke management.

Dennis Becker, dean of the College of Natural Resources and professor of natural resource policy, is an expert in and is willing to speak on state and federal fire policy analysis and evaluation, economics of wildfire and landowner programs.

Eva Strand, associate dean of the College of Natural Resources and professor of rangeland ecology management, is an expert in rangeland ecology including vegetation and fuels management and post-fire effects.

Leda Kobziar is a professor of wildland fire science. Her research explores how fire and fuel management affect vegetation communities, soil carbon cycling, tree mortality, and atmospheric smoke transport of living microbes. She is willing to speak on fire ecology, fire and fuels management, prescribed burning, and smoke and fire microbiology.

Randall Brooks is a professor of forestry and extension forestry specialist, and his research focuses on firefighter health and safety, sleep, fatigue and body composition changes on the fire line.

Charles Goebel, professor of forest ecosystem restoration and ecology, has done extensive research on wildfires. He is available to speak on forest ecology, ecosystem restoration, riparian ecology, management and restoration, wildland fire, and undergraduate education, including new Associate of Science degrees.

Robert Keefe, associate professor and director of the U of I Experimental Forest, is willing to speak on Forest and fuels management, treatment costs, prescribed fire use and wildland firefighter safety.

Jessica Miesel, associate professor of plant, soil and microbial sciences. Her research focuses primarily on the ecology and management of fire-prone temperate conifer forests and the role of natural and anthropogenic black carbon in soil ecosystem processes.