Scientists & Staff

Brian R. Sturtevant
News Releases
Current Research
The scientist investigates interactions among human land use and management, forest vegetation, and natural disturbance processes (principally fire and defoliating insects) across large landscapes in time and space. Under this guiding theme, the scientist develops landscape models to synthesize information across scales and scientific disciplines, and applies those models to investigate the emergent consequences of these interacting phenomena. The cumulative effects of these interactions result in persistent spatial legacies that often constrain future management options and may impact ecosystem resilience to future change.The scientist also designs field studies to address fundamental knowledge gaps limiting the understanding of disturbance processes and effects. Some focal areas include: 1. how landscape legacies from past forest management patterns can either buffer or amplify insect outbreaks; 2. how disturbance intensity or severity (e.g., fire or insect defoliation) many be scaled up using different remote sensing platforms; 3. how fuel loading and fire intensity relates to belowground soil heating, and its consequences for the restoration of fire-prone ecosystems.
Such field study enable selective replacement of empirical model components, dependent on past observations, with process-based model components based on mechanistic understanding and theoretical underpinnings. This last objective is critical because the novel conditions anticipated within the global context of anthropogenic climate, atmospheric, biodiversity, and land cover changes suggest that the empirical relationships of the past will become increasingly unreliable in the future. Hence the overarching goal of the scientist's research program is to advance both the state of the art in landscape disturbance and succession modeling and the field of landscape ecology as it applies to disturbance and change within forested ecosystems.
Research Interests
Emergent themes within the scientist's research program include:- Restoration of temperate woodland and savanna ecosystems through effective application of fire
- Modeling of wind-assisted insect dispersal
- Approximating "tri-trophic" (i.e., forest, insect, natural enemy) interactions affecting outbreak dynamics in time and space within forest landscape models
- Addressing the human dimensions of uncertainty affecting the possible future conditions of forested landscapes using "strategic foresight" and "participatory modeling" techniques.
Why This Research is Important
Forests provide essential ecosystem services across the globe including carbon storage, water quality, climate regulation, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity. Yet forests are increasingly stressed by a range of agents that are threatening the resilience of these systems and the ecosystem services they provide. Forest landscape models synthesize what is known and unknown regarding drivers and processes underlying forest dynamics through time and space, and can enable projections of potential futures in forested landscapes that might be realized. Still, forest disturbance interactions in time and space are complex, and require both conceptual and emprical advances to ensure their results are grounded in good science. Fortunately, data collection technology (e.g., remote sensing, data loggers, molecular techniques), analytical tools, and computational power continue to increase, facillitating more effective study and modelling of such complexity. Such research will enable the development of next-generation landscape models that, ultimately, provide decision support for land managers based on the best available science.Education
- University of Maryland at College Park, Ph.D. Ecology, 2001
- Utah State University, M.S. Wildlife Ecology, 1996
- Rutgers University, B.S. Natural Resources Management, 1992
Professional Experience
- Research Ecologist, Northern Research Station, Rhinelander, WI 2001 - Current
Professional Organizations
- Lake States Fire Science Consortium (2017 - Current)
- Association for Fire Ecology (2007 - Current)
- LANDIS-II Foundation (2006 - Current)
Technical Advisory Committee - International Association for Landscape Ecology (U.S. Chapter) (1997 - Current)
Program co-Chair: Annual Meeting, Chicago, 2018; Sponsorship Committee: Member 2008-2011, Chair 2011-2014 - Ecological Society of America (1996 - Current)
Awards & Recognition
- Wings across the Americas Conservation Award - Habitat Conservation Partnership: USDA Forest Service, 2017 Co-author of Niemi et al. 2016. Analysis of long-term forest bird monitoring data from national forests of the western Great Lakes Region. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-159.
- Partners in Flight Investigations Award: North American Bird Conservation Initiative., 2017 Co-author of Niemi et al. 2016. Analysis of long-term forest bird monitoring data from national forests of the western Great Lakes Region. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-159.
- Senior Research Award: Association of Southeastern Biologists, 2002 Co-recipient with Steven Seagle: Seagle, S.W. and Sturtevant, B.R. 2005. Forest productivity predicts invertebrate biomass and Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus) reproduction in Appalachian landscapes. Ecology 86: 1531-1539.
Featured Publications & Products
- Robert, Louis-Etienne ; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Kneeshaw, Daniel ; James, Patrick M. A.; Fortin, Marie‐Josee ; Wolter, Peter T.; Townsend, Philip A.; Cooke, Barry J. 2020. Forest landscape structure influences the cyclic‐eruptive spatial dynamics of forest tent caterpillar outbreaks. Ecosphere. 11(8): e03096. 18 p.
- Quigley, Kathleen M.; Kolka, Randall ; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Kern, Christel C.; Donner, Deahn M.; Miesel, Jessica R. 2020. Prescribed burn frequency, vegetation cover, and management legacies influence soil fertility: Implications for restoration of imperiled pine barrens habitat. Forest Ecology and Management
- Lucash, Melissa S.; Scheller, Robert M.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Gustafson, Eric J.; Kretchun, Alec M.; Foster, Jane R. 2018. More than the sum of its parts: how disturbance interactions shape forest dynamics under climate change. Ecosphere
- Robert, Louis-Etienne; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Cooke, Barry J.; James, Patrick M. A.; Fortin, Marie-Josée; Townsend, Philip A.; Wolter, Peter T.; Kneeshaw, Daniel. 2018. Landscape host abundance and configuration regulate periodic outbreak behavior in spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana. Ecography
- Kolka, Randall K.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Miesel, Jessica R.; Singh, Aditya; Wolter, Peter T.; Fraver, Shawn; DeSutter, Thomas M.; Townsend, Phil A. 2017. Emissions of forest floor and mineral soil carbon, nitrogen and mercury pools and relationships with fire severity for the Pagami Creek Fire in the Boreal Forest of northern Minnesota. International Journal of Wildland Fire
- Gustafson, Eric J.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; de Bruijn, Arjan M. G.; Lichti, Nathanael ; Jacobs, Douglass F.; Kashian, Daniel M.; Miranda, Brian R.; Townsend, Philip A. 2018. Forecasting effects of tree species reintroduction strategies on carbon stocks in a future without historical analog. Global Change Biology
- Sturtevant, Brian; Achtemeier, Gary; Anderson, Dean; Charney, Joseph; Cooke, Barry. 2011. Long-distance dispersal of eastern spruce budworm in Minnesota (USA) via the atmospheric pathway. In: 26th annual landscape ecology symposium. Sustainability in dynamic landscapes; 2011 April 3-7; Portland, Oregon. U.S. International Association for Landscape Ecology: 112-113. Abstract.
- James, Patrick M.A.; Cooke, Barry; Brunet, Bryan M.T.; Lumley, Lisa M.; Sperling, Felix A.H.; Fortin, Marie-Josee; Quinn, Vanessa S.; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2015. Life-stage differences in spatial genetic structure in an irruptive forest insect: implications for dispersal and spatial synchrony. Molecular Ecology. 24(2): 296-309.
- Sturtevant, Brian R; Miranda, Brian R; Shinneman, Douglas J; Gustafson, Eric J; Wolter, Peter T. 2012. Comparing modern and presettlement forest dynamics of a subboreal wilderness: Does spruce budworm enhance fire risk?. Ecological Applications. 22: 1278-1296.
- Anderson, Dean P.; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2011. Pattern analysis of eastern spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana dispersal. Ecography. 34: 488-497.
Publications & Products
- Cooke, Barry J.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Robert, Louis-Etienne. 2022. The Forest Tent Caterpillar in Minnesota: Detectability, Impact, and Cycling Dynamics. Forests
- Garcia, Matthew ; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Saint-Amant, Rémi ; Charney, Joseph J.; Delisle, Johanne ; Boulanger, Yan ; Townsend, Philip A.; Régnière, Jacques. 2022. Modeling weather-driven long-distance dispersal of spruce budworm moths (Choristoneura fumiferana). Part 1: Model description. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
- Kneeshaw, Daniel D.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; DeGrandpé, Louis ; Doblas-Miranda, Enrique ; James, Patrick M. A.; Tardif, Dominique ; Burton, Philip J. 2021. The Vision of Managing for Pest-Resistant Landscapes: Realistic or Utopic?. Current Forestry Reports
- Quigley, Kathleen M.; Kolka, Randall ; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Kern, Christel C.; Miesel, Jessica R. 2021. Restoring open canopy pine barrens from the ground up: Repeated burns correspond with increased soil hydraulic conductivity. Science of The Total Environment
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Fortin, Marie-Josée. 2021. Understanding and Modeling Forest Disturbance Interactions at the Landscape Level. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Hanberry, Brice B. 2021. Processes underlying restoration of temperate savanna and woodland ecosystems: Emerging themes and challenges. Forest Ecology and Management
- Gustafson, Eric J.; Kern, Christel C.; Miranda, Brian R.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Bronson, Dustin R.; Kabrick, John M. 2020. Climate adaptive silviculture strategies: How do they impact growth, yield, diversity and value in forested landscapes?. Forest Ecology and Management
- Gustafson, Eric J.; Miranda, Brian R.; Shvidenko, Anatoly Z.; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2020. Simulating Growth and Competition on Wet and Waterlogged Soils in a Forest Landscape Model. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
- Gustafson, Eric J.; Miranda, Brian R.; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2020. How do forest landscapes respond to elevated CO2 and ozone? Scaling Aspen‐FACE plot‐scale experimental results. Ecosphere
- Thapa, Bina ; Wolter, Peter T.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Townsend, Philip A. 2020. Reconstructing past forest composition and abundance by using archived Landsat and national forest inventory data. International Journal of Remote Sensing
- Quigley, K.M. ; Wildt, R.E. ; Sturtevant, B.R. ; Kolka, R.K. ; Dickinson, M.B. ; Kern, C.C. ; Donner, D.M. ; Miesel, J.R. 2019. Fuels, vegetation, and prescribed fire dynamics influence ash production and characteristics in a diverse landscape under active pine barrens restoration. Fire Ecology
- Raschke, Ryan; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Quigley, Kathleen. 2019. Geographic Distribution: Emydoidea blandingii (Blanding's Turtle) USA: Wisconsin: Bayfield Co.. 50(1): 99
- Régnière, Jacques ; Delisle, Johanne ; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Garcia, Matthew ; Saint-Amant, Rémi. 2019. Modeling Migratory Flight in the Spruce Budworm: Temperature Constraints. Forests
- Zlonis, Edmund J.; Walton, Nicholas G.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Wolter, Peter T.; Niemi, Gerald J. 2019. Burn severity and heterogeneity mediate avian response to wildfire in a hemiboreal forest. Forest Ecology and Management
- Gustafson, Eric ; Miranda, Brian ; Sturtevant, Brian. 2018. Can Future CO2 Concentrations Mitigate the Negative Effects of High Temperature and Longer Droughts on Forest Growth?. Forests
- Tonini, Francesco ; Jones, Chris ; Miranda, Brian R.; Cobb, Richard C.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Meentemeyer, Ross K. 2018. Modeling epidemiological disturbances in LANDIS-II. Ecography
- Boulanger, Yan; Fabry, Frédéric; Kilambi, Alamelu; Pureswaran, Deepa S.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Saint-Amant, Rémi. 2017. The use of weather surveillance radar and high-resolution three dimensional weather data to monitor a spruce budworm mass exodus flight. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 234-235: 127-135.
- De Jager, Nathan R.; Drohan, Patrick J.; Miranda, Brian M.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Stout, Susan L.; Royo, Alejandro A.; Gustafson, Eric J.; Romanski, Mark C. 2017. Simulating ungulate herbivory across forest landscapes: A browsing extension for LANDIS-II. Ecological Modelling. 350: 11-29.
- De Jager, Nathan R.; Rohweder, Jason J.; Miranda, Brian R.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Fox, Timothy J.; Romanski, Mark C. 2017. Modelling moose-forest interactions under different predation scenarios at Isle Royale National Park, USA. Ecological Applications
- Grinde, Alexis R.; Niemi, Gerald J.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Panci, Hannah; Thogmartin, Wayne; Wolter, Peter. 2017. Importance of scale, land cover, and weather on the abundance of bird species in a managed forest. Forest Ecology and Management
- Gustafson, Eric J.; Miranda, Brian R.; De Bruijn, Arjan M.G.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Kubiske, Mark E. 2017. Do rising temperatures always increase forest productivity? Interacting effects of temperature, precipitation, cloudiness and soil texture on tree species growth and competition. Environmental Modelling & Software
- Gustafson, Eric J.; de Bruijn, Arjan; Lichti, Nathanael; Jacobs, Douglass F.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Foster, Jane; Miranda, Brian R.; Dalgleish, Harmony J. 2017. The implications of American chestnut reintroduction on landscape dynamics and carbon storage. Ecosphere
- Lucash, Melissa S.; Scheller, Robert M.; Gustafson, Eric J.; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2017. Spatial resilience of forested landscapes under climate change and management. Landscape Ecology
- Cooley, Rayma A.; Wolter, Peter T.; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2016. Quantifying early-seral forest composition with remote sensing. Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing. 82(11): 853-863.
- Gustafson, Eric J.; De Bruijn, Arjan M. G.; Miranda, Brian R.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Thompson, J. 2016. Implications of mechanistic modeling of drought effects on growth and competition in forest landscape models. Ecosphere. 7(4): 10.1002/ecs2.1253. 23 p.
- Gustafson, Eric J.; Lucash, Melissa; Liem, Johannes; Jenny, Helen; Scheller, Rob; Barrett, Kelly; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2016. Seeing the future impacts of climate change and forest management: a landscape visualization system for forest managers. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-164. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 18 p.
- Miranda, Brian; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Schmelzer, Isabelle; Doyon, Frederik; Wolter, Peter. 2016. Vegetation recovery following fire and harvest disturbance in central Labrador — a landscape perspective. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 46: 1009-1018.
- Niemi, Gerald J.; Howe, Robert W.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Parker, Linda R.; Grinde, Alexis R.; Danz, Nicholas P.; Nelson, Mark D.; Zlonis, Edmund J.; Walton, Nicholas G.; Gnass Giese, Erin E.; Lietz, Sue M. 2016. Analysis of long-term forest bird monitoring data from national forests of the western Great Lakes Region. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-159. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 322 p.
- Gustafson, Eric J.; De Bruijn, Arjan M.G.; Pangle, Robert E.; Limousin, Jean-Marc; McDowell, Nate G.; Pockman, William T.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Muss, Jordan D.; Kubiske, Mark E. 2015. Integrating ecophysiology and forest landscape models to improve projections of drought effects under climate change. Global Change Biology. 21(2): 843-856.
- Perera, Ajith H.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Buse, Lisa J. 2015. Simulation modeling of forest landscape disturbances: Where do we go from here?. In: Perera, A.H.; Sturtevant, B.R.; Buse, L.J., eds. Simulation modeling forest landscape disturbances. Geneva, Switzerland: Springer International: 289-311. Chapter 11.
- Perera, Ajith H.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Buse, Lisa J. 2015. Simulation modeling of forest landscape disturbances: An overview. In: Perera, A.H.; Sturtevant, B.R.; Buse, L.J., eds. Simulation modeling forest landscape disturbances. Geneva, Switzerland: Springer International: 1-15. Chapter 1.
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Cooke, Barry J.; Kneeshaw, Daniel D.; MacLean, David A. 2015. Modeling insect disturbance across forested landscapes: Insights from the spruce budworm. In: Perera, A.H.; Sturtevant, B.R.; Buse, L.J., eds. Simulation modeling forest landscape disturbances. Geneva, Switzerland: Springer International: 93-134. Chapter 5.
- De Bruijn, A.; Gustafson, E.J.; Sturtevant, B.R.; Foster, J.R.; Miranda, B.R.; Lichti, N.I.; Jacobs, D.F. 2014. Toward more robust projections of forest landscape dynamics under novel environmental conditions: embedding PnET within LANDIS-II. Ecological Modelling. 287: 44-57.
- Kolka, Randy; Sturtevant, Brian; Townsend, Philip; Miesel, Jessica; Wolter, Peter; Fraver, Shawn; DeSutter, Tom. 2014. Post-fire comparisons of forest floor and soil carbon, nitrogen, and mercury pools with fire severity indices. Soil Science Society of America Journal 78: S58-S65
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Miranda, Brian R.; Wolter, Peter T.; James, Patrick M.A.; Fortin, Marie-Josée; Townsend, Philip A. 2014. Forest recovery patterns in response to divergent disturbance regimes in the Border Lakes region of Minnesota (USA) and Ontario (Canada). Forest Ecology and Management. 313: 199-211.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2014. Using scenario modeling for red spruce restoration planning in West Virginia. Journal of Forestry. 112(5): 457-466.
- de Bruijn, Arjan; Gustafson, Eric J.; Kashian, Daniel M.; Dalgleish, Harmony J.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Jacobs, Douglass F. 2014. Decomposition rates of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) wood and implications for coarse woody debris pools. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 44(12): 1575-1585.
- Brunet, B.M.T.; Doucet, D.; Sturtevant, B.R.; Sperling, F.A.H. 2013. Characterization of EST-based SSR loci in the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Conservation Genetic Resources. 5: 541-544.
- Gustafson, Eric J.; Kubiske, Mark E.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Miranda, Brian R. 2013. Scaling Aspen-FACE experimental results to century and landscape scales. Landscape Ecology. 28(9): 1785-1800.
- Gustafson, Eric J; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2013. Modeling forest mortality caused by drought stress: implications for climate change. Ecosystems. 16: 60-74.
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Achtemeier, Gary L.; Charney, Joseph J.; Anderson, Dean P.; Cooke, Barry J.; Townsend, Phillip A. 2013. Long-distance dispersal of spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens) in Minnesota (USA) and Ontario (Canada) via the atmospheric pathway. Agriculture and Forest Meteorology. 168: 186-200.
- Doyon, Frederik; Sturtevant, Brian; Papaik, Michael J.; Fall, Andrew; Miranda, Brian; Kneeshaw, Daniel D.; Messier, Christian; Fortin, Marie-Josee; James, Patrick M.A. 2012. Assessing knowledge ambiguity in the creation of a model based on expert knowledge and comparison with the results of a landscape succession model in central Labrador. Chapter 10.. In: Perera, Ajith H.; Drew, C. Ashton; Johnson, Chris J., eds. Expert Knowledge and Its Application in Landscape Ecology. Springer: 189-210.
- Miranda, Brian R; Sturtevant, Brian R; Stewart, Susan I; Hammer, Roger B. 2012. Spatial and temporal drivers of wildfire occurrence in the context of rural development in northern Wisconsin, USA. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 21: 141-154.
- Robert, Louis-Etienne; Kneeshaw, Daniel; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2012. Effects of forest management legacies on spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) outbreaks. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 42: 463-475.
- Wolter, Peter T.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Miranda, Brian R.; Lietz, Sue M.; Townsend, Phillip A.; Pastor, John. 2012. Forest land cover change (1975-2000) in the Greater Border Lakes region. Research Map NRS-3. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 17 p. [Printed map included].
- Gustafson, Eric; Shvidenko, Anatoly; Scheller, Robert; Sturtevant, Brian. 2011. Effectiveness of forest management strategies to mitigate effects of global change in Siberia. In: 26th annual landscape ecology symposium. Sustainability in dynamic landscapes; 2011 April 3-7; Portland, Oregon. U.S. International Association for Landscape Ecology: 71-72. Abstract.
- James, Patrick M.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Townsend, Phil; Wolter, Pete; Fortin, Marie-Josee. 2011. Two-dimensional wavelet analysis of spruce budworm host basal area in the Border Lakes landscape. Ecological Applications. 21(6): 2197-2209.
- James, Patrick M.A.; Fortin, M.-J.; Sturtevant, B.R.; Fall, A.; Kneewhaw, D. 2011. Modeling spatial interactions among fire, spruce budworm, and logging in the boreal rorest. Ecosystems. 14: 60-75.
- Fall, Andrew; Sturtevant, B.; Fortin, M.-J.; Papaik, M.; Doyon, F.; Morgan, D.; Berninger, K.; Messier, C. 2010. A practical approach for comparing management strategies in complex forest ecosystems using meta-modelling toolkits. Sustainable Forest Management Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB. Research Note Series No. 56.
- Foster, Jane; Scheller, Robert; Sturtevant, Brian; Townsend, Phillip; Mladenoff, David. 2010. Forest insect defoliation and carbon dynamics: simulating multiple defoliator outbreaks in mixed deciduous landscapes with LANDIS-II. In: US-IALE 25th annual landscape ecology symposium. Is what humans do natural; 2010 April 5-9; Athens, GA.: 70. Abstract.
- Gustafson, Eric J.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Shvidenko, Anatoly S.; Scheller, Robert M. 2010. Using landscape disturbance and succession models to support forest management. In: Li, Chao; Lafortezza, Raffaele; Chen, Jiquan. Landscape Ecology in Forest Management and Conservation, Challenges and Solutions for Global Change. Dordrecht, The Netherlands; Springer: 99-118. Chapter 5.
- Gustafson, Eric J.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Shvidenko, Anatoly Z.; Scheller, Robert M. 2010. Using LANDIS II to study the effects of global change in Siberia. In: 7th Annual Research Review Symposium; 2010 Feb 23; Cloquet, MN. UMN Cloquet Forestry Center.
- Gustafson, Eric; Shvidenko, Anatoly D.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Scheller, Robert M. 2010. Predicting global change effects on forest biomass and composition in south-central Siberia. Ecological Applications. 20(3): 700-715. Abstract.
- Papaik, Michael J.; Fall, Andrew; Sturtevant, Brian; Kneeshaw, Daniel; Messier, Christian; Fortin, Marie-Josee; Simon, Neal. 2010. Forest processes from stands to landscapes: exploring model forecast uncertainties using cross-scale model comparison. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 40: 2345-2359.
- Sturtevant, Brian. 2010. The politics of forestry [book review]. Landscape Ecology. 25: 981-982.
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Quinn, V.; Robert, L.E.; Kneeshaw, D.; James, P.; Fortin, M.-J.; Wolter, P.; Townsend, P.; Cooke, B.; Anderson, D. 2010. Can Landscape-scale management influence insect outbreak dynamics? A natural experiment for eastern spruce budworm. In: 7th Annual Research Review Symposium; 2010 Feb 23; Cloquet, MN. UMN Cloquet Forestry Center.
- Miranda, Brian R.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Yang, Jian; Gustafson, Eric J. 2009. Comparing fire spread algorithms using equivalence testing and neutral landscape models. Landscape Ecology. 24: 587-598.
- Scheller, Robert M.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Gustafson, Eric J.; Ward, Brendan C.; Mladenoff, David J. 2009. Increasing the reliability of ecological models using modern software engineering techniques. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 8(5): 253-260.
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Miranda, Brian R.; Yang, Jian; He, Hong S.; Gustafson, Eric J.; Scheller, Robert M. 2009. Studying fire mitigation strategies in multi-ownership landscapes: balancing the management of fire-dependent ecosystems and fire risk. Ecosystems. 12: 445-461.
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Scheller, Robert M.; Miranda, Brian R.; Shinneman, Douglas; Syphard, Alexandra. 2009. Simulating dynamic and mixed-severity fire regimes: a process-based fire extension for LANDIS-II. Ecological Modelling. 220: 3380-3393.
- Wolter, Peter T.; Townsend, Phillip A.; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2009. Estimation of forest structural parameters using 5 and 10 meter SPOT-5 satellite data. Remote Sensing of Environment. 113: 2019-2036.
- Papaik, Michael J.; Sturtevant, Brian; Messier, Christian. 2008. Crossing scales and disciplines to achieve forest sustainability. Ecology and Society. 13(1): online.
- Wolter, Peter T.; Townsend, Philip A.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Kingdon, Clayton C. 2008. Remote sensing of the distribution and abundance of host species for spruce budworm in Northern Minnesota and Ontario. Remote Sensing of Environment. 112: 3971-3982.
- Yang, Jian; He, Hong S.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Miranda, Brian R.; Gustafson, Eric J. 2008. Comparing effects of fire modeling methods on simulated fire patterns and succession: a case study in the Missouri Ozarks. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38: 1290-1302.
- Scheller, Robert M.; Domingo, James B.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Williams, Jeremy S.; Rudy, Arnold; Gustafson, Eric J.; Mladenoff, David J. 2007. Design, development, and application of LANDIS-II, a spatial landscape simulation model with flexible temporal and spatial resolution. Ecological Modelling. 201: 409?419.
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Cleland, David T. 2007. Human and biophysical factors influencing modern fire disturbance in northern Wisconsin. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 16: 398-413.
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Fall, Andrew; Kneeshaw, Daniel D.; Simon, Neal P. P.; Papaik, Michael J.; Berninger, Kati; Doyon, Frederik; Morgan, Don G.; Messier, Christian. 2007. A toolkit modeling approach for sustainable forest management planning: achieving balance between science and local needs. Ecology and Society 12(2):1-12
- He, Hong S.; Li, Wei; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Yang, Jian; Shang, Bo Z.; Gustafson, Eric J.; Mladenoff, David J. 2005. LANDIS 4.0 users guide. LANDIS: a spatially explicit model of forest landscape disturbance, management, and succession. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-263. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station. 93 p.
- Seagle, Steven W.; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2005. Forest productivity predicts invertebrate biomass and ovenbird (Seriurus Aurocapillus) reproduction in Appalachian landscapes. Ecology, 86(6), 2005, pp. 1531?1539.
- Gustafson, Eric J.; Zollner, Patrick A.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Hong, S. He; Mladenoff, David J. 2004. Influence of forest management alternatives and land type on susceptibility to fire in northern Wisconsin, USA. Landscape Ecology 19: 327-341, 2004.
- Potts, Robert; Gustafson, Eric; Stewart, Susan I.; Thompson, Frank R.; Bergen, Kathleen; Brown, Daniel G.; Hammer, Roger; Radeloff, Volker; Bengston, David; Sauer, John; Sturtevant, Brian. 2004. The Changing Midwest Assessment: land cover, natural resources, and people. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-250. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station. 87 p.
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Gustafson, Eric J.; He, Hong S. 2004. Modeling disturbance and succession in forest landscapes using LANDIS: introduction. Ecological Modelling 180 (2004) 1?5
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Gustafson, Eric J.; Li, Wei; He, Hong S. 2004. Modeling biological disturbances in LANDIS: a module description and demonstration using spruce budworm. Ecological Modelling 180 (2004) 153?174
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Zoller, Patrick A.; Gustafson, Eric J.; Cleland, David T. 2004. Human influence on the abundance and connectivity of high-risk fuels in mixed forests of northern Wisconsin, USA. Landscape Ecology 19: 235-253
- Sturtevant, Brian R.; Zollner, Patrick A.; Gustafson, Eric J.; Cleland, David T. 2004. Human influence on the abundance and connectivity of high-risk fuels in mixed forests of northern Wisconsin, USA. Landscape Ecology 19: 235?253, 2004.
Other Publications
- Sturtevant, B.R., J.R. Miesel, M.B. Dickinson, R.K. Kolka, C.C. Kern, D.M. Donner, K.M. Quigley, and M.M. Bushman. 2020. Manipulating soil heating patterns to optimize barrens restoration (JFSP Project ID: 15-1-05-13). Final Report to the Joint Fire Science Program, September, 2020. https://www.firescience.gov/projects/15-1-05-13/project/15-1-05-13_final_report.pdf
Research Datasets
- Wolter, Peter T.; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Miranda, Brian R.; Lietz, Sue M.; Townsend, Philip A.; Pastor, John. 2012. Greater Border Lakes Region land cover classification and change detection. Newtown Square, PA: USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2012-0007.
- Potts, Robert S.; Gustafson, Eric J.; Stewart, Susan I.; Thompson, Frank R.; Bergen, Kathleen; Brown, Daniel G.; Hammer, Roger; Radeloff, Volker; Bengston, David; Sauer, John; Sturtevant, Brian. 2005. The changing Midwest assessment: data and shapefiles. St. Paul, MN: USDA Forest Service, North Central Research Station. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2005-0003.
National Research Highlights
Scientists model the effects of restoring the American chestnut tree to the eastern U.S. landscape
Year: 2017
The American chestnut tree is fast growing, somewhat tolerant of shade, and its wood is resistant to decay. The chestnut tree might be capable of significantly increasing carbon storage if it could be restored to its former dominance across the eastern U.S., but is it capable of reasserting its dominance in the face of changing climate and new insect pests and can it increase carbon storage in eastern forests?
Modeling wolf-moose forest interactions at Isle Royale National Park
Year: 2017
The loss of top predators may have unintended consequences for forest composition and function. Forest Service scientists partnered with the U.S. Geologic Survey and National Park Service to investigate the effects of alternative wolf predation scenarios on the moose and forest dynamics at Isle Royale National Park near Michigan’s border with Canada. Will the impending loss of wolves from the park affect the future state of the forest ecosystem?
Scaling Up Ecosystem Impacts of the Pagami Creek Fire in Northern Minnesota
Year: 2016
Quantifying fire severity is critical to understanding the ecosystem impacts of wildfire. Forest Service research demonstrates the magnitude of ecosystem impacts from large wildfires, the challenges of relating those impacts to repeatable and scalable fire severity indices, and the application of remote sensing to help scale severity and ecosystem impacts of large wildfires.
Simulation Modeling of Forest Landscape Disturbances
Year: 2015
Simulation models of landscape disturbances have proliferated and matured. A Forest Service scientist co-edited the book “Simulation Modeling of Forest Landscape Disturbances” that represents a synthesis of the current state of knowledge in forest landscape disturbance models across a wide variety of processes that include physical (drought, wind, and fire), biological (defoliating insects, bark beetles, and tree pathogens) and human-caused activities, interactions between disturbances and climate change, and subsequent landscape recovery. Contributing authors applied models across these different dimensions to explore advancements and challenges in modeling techniques and identify future needs in quantifying forest landscape disturbances.
Changes in Host Abundance Following Harvesting Desynchronize Forest Insect Pest Outbreaks
Year: 2015
A Forest Service scientist led an international team to investigate how different historic forest management practices have affected spruce budworm outbreaks in a large “experimental landscape” spanning the U.S.-Canadian border. Their results show the strongest evidence to date that human-mediated changes to forest landscapes affect the intensity and consequences of forest insect outbreaks at broad spatial scales.
Bird Monitoring in the Western Great Lakes National Forests Shows Stabilized Breeding Bird Populations
Year: 2014
The results from 20 years of forest bird monitoring in four national forests in Minnesota and Wisconsin show positive trends in breeding bird population stability. The new report by Forest Service scientists and partners represents the most comprehensive volume of quantitative information ever compiled on the trends, habitat use, and community assemblages of breeding forest birds of the western Great Lakes region.
Scientists Predict Survivability Factors for Northern Forests Given Elevated CO2 and Ozone Levels
Year: 2013
The researchers scaled up a high-profile 11-year ecosystem experiment called Aspen-FACE to assess how elevated carbon dioxide and ozone levels might impact real forests at the landscape scale over the course of many future decades. They determined that there will be winners and losers among species and within species groups but that managers can have considerable control over the outcomes by managing disturbance effects on forests and landscape spatial patterns. The researchers also found that changes will be gradual and that few species are likely to disappear completely because of carbon dioxide and ozone effects alone.
Spruce Budworm Effects on Fire Risk and Vegetation in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Year: 2012
Insect-killed trees do not necessarily increase fire risk