North American Forest
Ecology Workshop
Mission Statement
The mission of the North American Forest Ecology Workshop series is “to bring
researchers, academicians, and managers together to foster dialogue and
discussion of current issues related to basic and applied research in forested
ecosystems in North America.” (Terry Sharik, Utah State University, Logan, UT).
Background
The idea of the North American Forest Ecology Workshop (NAFEW) series was first promoted by John Zasada
and Terry Sharik in 1993. It evolved out of the perceived gap between meetings focused on basic science,
such as the Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, and meetings focused on technology
transfer to field foresters, such as the Annual National Convention of the Society of American Foresters
(Sharik and Cook 1999). NAFEW was intended to fill the gap and provide opportunities for forest
ecologists to meet as a separate group and discuss new findings and trends in basic and applied ecology.
By now, NAFEW has established itself through a series of successful workshops in various parts of North
America. The workshops covered a broad array of topics, trying to address the range of ecological issues
and sub-disciplines while focusing around the individual conference themes. While the focus of the
conferences shifted over time towards an emphasis on plant ecology, presentations of work in other
sub-disciplines have always provided interesting insights for discussions and participation of scientists
and managers with a wide variety of expertise is encouraged.
Sharik, T. and J. Cook. 1999. NAFEW 1997 History and Overview. Forest Ecology and Management 114:169.
Workshops
Look for announcements of FUTURE
WORKSHOPS!
For more information regarding NAFEW or the website, contact
Klaus Puettmann
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