Paint Rock Forest Dynamics Project

The Paint Rock Forest Dynamics Project is designed as an immersive hands-on student training and research capacity building project in forest science at Alabama A&M University.

During the three-year project, a 30 ha long-term ForestGEO research plot will be established. Every live stem over 1 cm in diameter at 1.37 m above the ground will be measured, identified to species and mapped.

The research plot will be remeasured every five years and potentially expanded to 60 ha. This baseline data will be used to explore foundational forest ecology questions and has the potential to be overlaid with broad integrative studies ranging from soil microbes to migratory bird stopover, as well as become part of a global baseline dataset to explore issues related to climate change and increasing climate variability.

 

PRFD Plot work Spring 2021: Field team, Tagged trees, Lidar analysis

 

For more information about the project, collaboration, research, work, and learning opportunities contact Dr. Dawn Lemke.

 

CoPIs: Dr. Luben Dimov, Dr. Richard Condit, Dr. Stephen Hubbell, William Finch, Dr. Patricia Gowaty

Funding: USDA NIFA Capacity Building Grant, Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-CBGP-006531

Links

• Alabama A&M University Paint Rock Forest Dynamics (PRFD) Project Team
• The Broader Research Team
• Data Sharing MOU
• Detailed Project Description (proposal)