Drought Impacts from 2011-2012 on Texas Forests

From the pinewoods of East Texas to the mesquite-juniper woodlands of Central Texas, our forests are as diverse as the state itself. The impacts of the 2011 drought on the health, biodiversity, and ecosystem functions will be felt for some time, but perhaps not in the way that most might think. During this session, we will explore the consequences of the silvicultural norm practiced by private landowners on forest health and the concomitant loss from insects, disease, wildfire and drought. We will consider how a forest's ability to recover after short-term incidences of extremes weather events depends upon its level of resiliency. Lastly, we will present silvicultural strategies that, if practices at a large scale, could alleviate social and economic losses across the forested landscapes.