News

A new research paper co-authored by Amit Pradhananga, a researcher with Forest Resources, the Center for Changing Landscapes, and the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC), was recently published in the Public Library of Science (PLoS). 

How do forests adapt to a warming climate? A long-term study testing different adaptation strategies in Crosby Farm Regional Park was recently highlighted on CBS Minnesota News. The site is part of the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) Network, a series of experiments across the US investigating how best to support forest health and resilience under the stressors caused by a rapidly changing climate. 

Following an active summer of lightning-ignited wildfires across northern Minnesota and Canada, Forest Resources Researchers Lee Frelich and Sam Reed joined WTIP North Shore Community Radio to discuss the historical context behind these events and what they mean for the future of forest management.

University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham and Executive Vice President and Provost Gretchen Ritter joined CFANS Interim Dean Linda Nagel and College leaders to visit the CFANS exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair on Friday, August 28.

During the fair, the Department of Forest Resources highlighted the importance of natural resource management through the CFANS Pop-Up Learning booth with Park Boss: the 60-second Ranger Challenge. Fairgoers spun the wheel to step into a ranger role, solving real-world recreation management scenarios under a 60-second clock. 

Many members of the Forest Resources community were featured in Friends of the Boundary Waters' brand-new Boreal Compass Substack. 

Their first post focuses on the potential impacts on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness after the 2026 wildfires. It is co-authored by Forest Resources Adjunct and NRSM alumnus Sam Reed and Lee Frelich, a Forest Resources researcher and Reed’s former PhD advisor. It draws on historic research into wildfire impacts and highlights current research from Forest Resources and beyond, including how you can get involved in understanding these fire mysteries.

Anna Yang, PhD, a research fellow with the Montgomery Lab, is featured in an MITPPC article highlighting her career and research interests. 

Many are concerned and curious about the frequency and intensity of recent wildfires. What factors are leading to them? What changes could they bring? And is this the new normal? The Star Tribune spoke with Forest Resources, Extension, and Cloquet Forestry Center experts to learn about wildfire and forest regeneration cycles, the unique factors leading to the most recent fire, and what this could indicate about the future of our boreal forests. 

Forest Resources Researcher Lee Frelich joined MPR News’s Minnesota Now with host Nina Moini to provide ecological context on proposed federal changes to the 2001 Roadless Rule, which currently protects roughly 62,000 acres in northern Minnesota. 

As active wildfire activity continues to impact northern Minnesota, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and adjacent boreal forest regions across Canada, Forest Resources Researcher Lee Frelich has been lending his scientific expertise to local and national news outlets. As the director of the Center for Forest Ecology with extensive experience studying forest dynamics, large-scale natural disturbances, and long-term ecosystem change, Frelich provides essential background on the ecological mechanics driving these events.

Department of Forest Resources Associate Professor Danielle Ignace is featured in the “Work-Life Balance” career issue of Eos, the digital publication of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The profile explores her career path as an Indigenous scholar, her ecophysiology research, and her commitment to fostering an inclusive scientific community.