Forest Resources

The Department of Forest Resources at the University of Idaho has a long and proud legacy. No matter what your career aspirations are in the areas of forestry science and management, the Master of Science (M.S.) in Forest Resources will prepare you to achieve your goals. Our program includes field experiences and personal attention from our faculty.

You can tailor your course work to meet your individual interests. Here is a partial list of just some of the areas in which we offer special emphasis in the M.S. Forest Resources degree program:

• Ecology
• Forest ecosystem processes
• Fire ecology
• Forest social sciences
• Remote sensing and geographic information systems
• Watershed management
• Silviculture, forest genetics

Our M.S. graduates consistently build successful careers in the areas of forest management, ecology and forest science. Graduates work for government agencies, land development companies and individual landowners to study and provide guidance for balancing the use of these lands for economic, recreation, conservation and environmental purposes.

Through hands-on projects in our neighboring wilderness, which includes nine national forests, you’ll study forest biology and natural history. You’ll also study economic theory and learn about the important role computer technology, particularly Geographic Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), play in modern forest management.

Prepare for Success

To be successful as a graduate student in forest resources, you should have a keen interest in learning forest ecosystem processes, and you should also have an appreciation for the connections between forest resources and people. If you’re interested in looking for solutions to a variety of forest science challenges we face today, particularly related to fire, invasive species, water and sustainability, an advanced degree may be for you.

Your First Year

Entrance into the College of Graduate Studies program is highly competitive. Admission normally requires completion of undergraduate course work in the area of natural and social sciences. If you don’t have an undergraduate degree in one of these areas, you may be required to make up deficiencies as determined by your advisory committee.

Depending on your area of emphasis, you may take some of the following courses:

• Forest Inventory (FOR 474)
• Wildland Fire Management and Ecology (FOR 426)
• Forest Dynamics and Management (FOR 424)
• Forest Resources Seminar (FOR 501)
• Statistical Analysis (STAT 401)

What You Can Do

Narrowing down your career options is really about finding what aspects of forest science and forest management you’re most excited about. Here are some examples of career titles:

• Consulting forester
• Environmental agency executive
• Environmental researcher
• Forest economist
• Forest fire specialist
• GIS applications engineer
• Hydrologist
• Lobbyist
• Natural resource scientist
• Soil scientist
• Timber sale administration
• Water resources manager

Opportunities

Although federal and state agencies and conservation groups employ a significant portion of our graduates, there is also a growing opportunity in the world of consulting. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average starting salary for professionals with a Master of Science (M.S.) in the field is between $40,000 and $50,000.

Here are some examples of companies and organizations where our graduates are pursuing rewarding careers:

• Idaho Department of Lands
• Bureau of Land Management
• The Nature Conservancy
• Weyerhaeuser
• Potlatch Corp
• U.S. Forest Service
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Current Research

Our forest resources faculty members have received numerous awards, and they are recognized both nationally and internationally for their research. As a graduate student, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to faculty research projects and manage and facilitate your own research efforts. Current projects and research areas are wide-ranging. Here are a few examples:

• Silviculture
• Forest genetics
• Tree improvement
• Remote sensing, GIS
• Forest ecology
• Tree physiology
• Forest hydrology
• Fire and landscape ecology
• Forest pathology
• Policy analysis
• Forest measurements

Activities

• Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters

• Student Association for Fire Ecology

In addition to our student organizations, there are lectures, seminars and workshops available on campus organized by our Extension Forestry and CNR Outreach program.

Hands-On Experience

In the College of Natural Resources, our goal is to increase the understanding of how forest ecosystems function to enhance and optimize the forest management practices used by all groups. Within miles of the campus, on Moscow Mountain, you have access to one of the largest experimental forest sites in the country. Its 7,000 acres provides virtually no limit to the scale or type of research projects you can tackle – from the science behind fire suppression to studying diverse beetle populations.

The department has a limited number of teaching assistantships available each year. Applicants with strong quantitative skills are especially desired. In addition, many of our graduate students secure a research assistantship during at least part of their graduate studies. During their first year in the program, some students work with their advisers to prepare a research proposal and then submit it successfully for funding.

Facilities

Our facilities can support high quality research efforts and also get you acquainted with cutting-edge technology used in the industry. A new geospatial education and research complex supports remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) technologies. Other teaching and research tools include:

• Windows NT and UNIX networks
• A large computer file server
• Color output
• Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment
• A mass spectrometer for analysis of stable isotopes
• Field ecophysiology instruments
• An ABI377 Automated DNA Sequencer for molecular genetic analysis of wildland plants
• University of Idaho Experimental Forest
• University of Idaho Center for Forest Nursery and Seedling Research
• Remote Sensing and GIS Research Laboratory
• Remote Sensing/GIS Teaching Laboratory
• Forest and Range Measurements Laboratory
• Guernsey Outdoor Classroom
• Taylor Ranch Field Station
• Idaho Stable Isotopes Laboratory
• Inland Empire Tree Improvement Cooperative
• Intermountain Forest Tree Nutrition Cooperative
• University of Idaho Laboratory for Conservation and Ecological Genetics
• Landscape Dynamics Laboratory
• Lee Sharp Experimental Area
• McCall Field Campus
• Policy Analysis Group

Learn more about College of Natural Resources facilities

Online & Outreach

Online Courses and Programs

Faculty Involvement

An extremely diverse group of faculty challenge their students' education both in and outside of the classroom. Lab and field facilities are used both on and off campus.

Mark Coleman
Associate Professor & Director of the Intermountain Forest Tree Nutrition Cooperative
Coleman received his doctorate from the University of Washington. In addition to his duties with the Cooperative, Coleman teaches and conducts research in the areas of tree nutrition and forest management. His primary research interests are in soil and root processes controlling supply and acquisition of nutrients. He also focuses on intensive forest management, bioenergy production from woody crops, biomass thinning and harvest residues.
» mcoleman@uidaho.edu

Steve Cook
Associate Professor
Specialty Areas of Interest: * Population and community dynamics of forest insects * Biological control of forest insects * Chemical/behavioral ecology of insect-tree interactions * Use of remotely sensed data for detection and assessment of insect infestations
» stephenc@uidaho.edu

Anthony Davis
Assistant Professor; Director of the Center for Forest Nursery and Seedling Research
Research Specialty: Native plant regeneration; Silviculture.
» Anthony Davis - profile

Lauren Fins
Professor
Specialty Areas of Interest: * Genetic improvement of forest trees * Effects of forest management on genetic resources * Genetic architecture of forest tree species and populations * Using vegetative propagation to enhance forest species * Ecological and genetic effects on blister rust infection in western white and whitebark pines
» View Lauren Fins' profile

Jo Ellen Force
Professor; Department Head
Specialty Areas of Interest: * Forest policy and the relationships between people and natural resources * Human Ecosystem Model and related studies
» View Jo Ellen Force's profile

Paul Gessler
Associate Professor & Co-Director, Geospatial Laboratory for Environmental Dynamics
Specialty Areas of Interest: * Remote Sensing & GIS for Forest Ecosystem Analysis & Monitoring * Wildland Fire Fuels and Fire Hazard Mapping * Airborne Sensor Development * Environmental, Ecosystem and Soil-Landscape Modeling * Terrain and Watershed Analysis * Forest Soils * Spatial Statistics
» paulg@uidaho.edu

Katy Kavanagh
Associate Professor
Specialty Areas of Interest: * Silviculture * Forest ecosystem processes * Tree hydraulic architecture
» katyk@uidaho.edu

Timothy E. Link
Associate Professor
Specialty Areas of Interest: * Forest Hydrology * Snow Hydrology * Vegetation Atmosphere Interactions * Hydrologic Modeling
» tlink@uidaho.edu

Gary Machlis
Professor
Research Specialty: * Social ecology
» gmachlis@uidaho.edu

Ronald Mahoney
Extension Professor of Forest Resources
Specialty Areas of Interest: * Silviculture and management of nonindustrial private forests
» rmahoney@uidaho.edu

John D. Marshall
Professor
Specialty Areas of Interest: * Tree physiology * Ecosystem ecology * Stable isotope ratios
» Email Jon Marshall

Penelope Morgan
Professor
Specialty Areas of Interest: * Fire ecology and management * Landscape ecology * Natural resources ecology and conservation
» pmorgan@uidaho.edu

George Newcombe
Professor
Research Interests: Genetics of resistance of woody plants to disease; Fungal pathogens of Populus and Salix: their taxonomy, ecology, and distributions; Endophyte mutualists of forest tree; Hyperparasitism; Plant-soil feedback in plant invasions
» View George Newcombe's profile

Jay O'Laughlin
Professor & Director of Policy Analysis Group
Specialty Areas of Interest: * Natural Resources Policy Analysis * Natural Resources Economics
» jayo@uidaho.edu

Alistair Smith
Assistant Professor
Research Specialty: Forest measurements
» View Alistair Smith's profile

David Tank
Assistant Professor
Tank began his botanical studies at Michigan State University and received his doctorate in botany at the University of Washington in 2006. His research in the area of plant systematics and evolution focuses on increasing our understanding of the patterns of biodiversity across wildland ecosystems using molecular genetic tools. Tank will teach dendrology and forest community ecology.
» dtank@uidaho.edu