James Lutz, Ph.D.

Field: Wildland Resources
Areas of Focus: Fire Ecology, Forest Ecosystems, Natural Resources Conservation, Natural Resources Management

Expertise

• Forest ecology
• Big trees
• Causes of tree mortality
• Forest spatial patterns
• Old-growth forests
• Longitudinal forest data
• Fire ecology
• Fire severity

Bio

Dr. Lutz is the T.W. Daniel Associate Professor of Forestry at Utah State University. He is also the principal investigator for three large, Smithsonian-affiliated forest dynamics plots in California, Washington, and Utah. Dr. Lutz studies the ecosystems of western North America to contribute to science-based conservation and management of our natural resources in the face of changing climate and demography. His interests include the demography and spatial patterns of primary forests, especially the causes of tree death, and how fire shapes old-growth forest communities.