'Curious Conversations' podcast: Carrie Fearer talks about forest health and natural disasters
Carrie Fearer joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about forest health in the wake of natural disasters. She explained how storms and disturbances affect forest ecosystems, the importance of human interaction in promoting healthy forests, and the opportunities for restoration following catastrophic events. She also emphasized the significance of native species and the role of decomposition in maintaining forest health.
About Fearer
Carrie Fearer is an assistant professor of forest health in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment. Her research focuses on forest pathology, early disease detection, and microbes in tree health. Fearer gained international recognition for identifying the cause agent of beech leaf disease, a new threat to the global nursery trade and native beech species across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Takeaways
Storms can lead to changes in forest succession stages, but restoration after disturbances can correct past mistakes, such as invasive species.
Native species are crucial for healthy ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity helps forests withstand disturbances.
The decomposition of debris — fallen trees, limbs, leaves, etc. — is vital for nutrient cycling in forests.
Learn more
Expert explains effects of catastrophic weather events on forests and tree species
Researchers receive USDA funding to combat devilishly invasive tree-of-heaven
Researchers receive grant to study invasive autumn olive
About the podcast
"Curious Conversations" is a series of free-flowing conversations with Virginia Tech researchers that take place at the intersection of world-class research and everyday life. Produced and hosted by Travis Williams, assistant director of marketing and communications for the Office of Research and Innovation, university researchers share their expertise and motivations as well as the practical applications of their work in a format that more closely resembles chats at a cookout than classroom lectures. New episodes are shared each Tuesday.
