February 1, 2020 at 7:30 pm

Science Cafe | How Will Forests Respond to Climate Change? Feb. 19

Science Café presents Dr. Rebecca Snell discussing “How Will Forests Respond to Climate Change?” on Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. in the Front Room at Baker University Center.

Snell is Assistant Professor of Environmental & Plant Biology at Ohio University.

Forests provide habitat for wildlife, recreational opportunities, raw materials for a multitude of products and ecosystem services–benefits that contribute to making life both possible and worth living. Unfortunately, ongoing and future climate change is threatening forests’ ability to continue to function as they have in the past. Snell and her students study how forests will respond to climate change by using a combination of fieldwork and statistical and process-based dynamic vegetation models, which simulate shifts in potential plant species distributions over time.

Dr. Rebecca Snell

At her Science Café, Snell will answer several questions, including: What will our forests look like in the future? Which species are most sensitive to climate change? What is the connection between climate change and forest disturbances? What does it mean to have a “resistant” or “resilient” forest? Can management help mitigate some climate change impacts?

Watch live or later on A&S YouTube.

Science Café events are held on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in the Front Room at Baker University Center. They are free and open to students, faculty and staff. Science Café is a venue for students to share their interests informally during a conversation exchange in a friendly setting.

The Science Café is hosted by Dr. David Ingram, Professor and Chair of Physics & Astronomy, and Roxanne Malé-Brune, Director of Grant Development and Projects in the Office of the Vice President for Research and Creativity.

Science Café and Café Conversations are sponsored by the Office of Vice President for Research and Creativity and the Ohio University Chapter of Sigma Xi.