Wildfire Ecology in a Changing Climate: SES Research Leads Conservation Efforts
Remote sensing reveals post-fire forest recovery patterns
Transforming Wildfire Research with Technology
Professors Thomas Sisk and Temuulen Sankey are leading cutting-edge research that combines field ecology with advanced remote sensing to understand how forests respond to increasingly severe wildfires.
Innovative Research Methods
- Drone Technology: Using high-resolution UAV imagery to map forest recovery
- Satellite Analysis: Long-term monitoring of landscape changes using satellite data
- Field Validation: Ground-truthing remote sensing data with detailed field measurements
Key Discoveries
The research has revealed:
- Recovery Patterns: Some forest areas recover much faster than expected, while others struggle to regenerate
- Species Adaptation: Certain tree species show remarkable resilience to fire damage
- Ecosystem Services: Post-fire landscapes can provide important habitat for wildlife species
Graduate Student Involvement
This research has trained numerous graduate students who have gone on to careers in:
- Federal land management agencies
- Environmental consulting firms
- Academic research institutions
- Non-profit conservation organizations
Recent Publications
The team has published extensively on wildfire ecology, with recent papers in:
- Forest Ecology and Management
- Remote Sensing of Environment
- Ecological Applications
Conservation Applications
Research findings are being applied to:
- Forest Management: Informing post-fire restoration strategies
- Fire Prevention: Developing landscape-level fuel management plans
- Wildlife Conservation: Protecting habitat corridors in fire-prone landscapes
- Climate Adaptation: Planning for increased fire frequency under climate change
Community Impact
The research has direct relevance to local communities in Arizona, helping land managers and policymakers make informed decisions about forest management and fire risk reduction.
This work exemplifies SES’s commitment to conducting research that addresses real-world environmental challenges while training the next generation of environmental scientists.