2023 Distinguished Landscape Ecologist Award
Dr. Paul F. Hessburg
Dr. Paul F. Hessburg
Dr. Paul F. Hessburg, Senior Research Ecologist with the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNWRS), was awarded the 2023 Distinguished Landscape Ecologist Award by the North American Regional Chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE-NA) at annual meeting, in Riverside California March 19-23rd. This is the highest honor bestowed by IALE-NA and recognizes those unique individuals whose thinking and scientific dedication have shaped the field of landscape ecology.
Dr. Hessburg received a Ph.D. from Oregon State University in forest entomology and pathology in 1984 and a B.S. from the University of Minnesota in forest science in 1978. In addition to his work with the USDA Forest Service, Dr. Hessburg is a Courtesy Full Professor at several academic institutions, including the University of British Columbia, the University of Washington, Oregon State University, and Washington State University. One of Dr. Hessburg’s nominees described his career as “highly diverse,” with demonstrated research interests spanning various topics strongly allied with landscape ecology. Dr. Hessburg’s research on how multiple interacting processes, including insects, disease, wildfire, logging, and vegetation dynamics, influence ecosystems has greatly expanded the capacity of landscape practitioners to develop strategies and tactics to restore landscapes and adapt them to climate change. Dr. Hessburg has also contributed to pioneering landscape assessment projects, including the Eastside Forest Ecosystem Health Assessment, the Interior Columbia River Basin Ecosystem Management Project, the LANDFIRE project, and the Northwest Forest Plan Science Synthesis.
The contributions of Dr. Hessburg to the field of landscape ecology and ecology more broadly are demonstrated by his many years of service in various ecological societies as well. He has maintained active participation in the Ecological Society of America, the International Association for Landscape Ecology, including the North American and its predecessor US chapter, the Natural Hazards Section of the European Geosciences Union, the Association of Fire Ecology, and the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations computation ecology and decision support section, and landscape ecology working group. He is also the current President of the Board of the Association for Fire Ecology.
Dr. Hessburg is a prolific author and science communicator with 230 publications and over 12,000 citations, an H index of 56 and an i10 index north of 130, demonstrating his immense scientific contributions. He has given over 800 scientific and professional talks and over 150 presentations to the public across the western U.S. on the importance of fire in western ecosystems. He has pioneered the acceptance and revitalization of prescribed burning and managed wildfires.
For more information about Dr. Hessburg, please visit his PNW Research Station web page and ResearchGate profile.
Dr. Paul F. Hessburg, Senior Research Ecologist with the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNWRS), was awarded the 2023 Distinguished Landscape Ecologist Award by the North American Regional Chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE-NA) at annual meeting, in Riverside California March 19-23rd. This is the highest honor bestowed by IALE-NA and recognizes those unique individuals whose thinking and scientific dedication have shaped the field of landscape ecology.
Dr. Hessburg received a Ph.D. from Oregon State University in forest entomology and pathology in 1984 and a B.S. from the University of Minnesota in forest science in 1978. In addition to his work with the USDA Forest Service, Dr. Hessburg is a Courtesy Full Professor at several academic institutions, including the University of British Columbia, the University of Washington, Oregon State University, and Washington State University. One of Dr. Hessburg’s nominees described his career as “highly diverse,” with demonstrated research interests spanning various topics strongly allied with landscape ecology. Dr. Hessburg’s research on how multiple interacting processes, including insects, disease, wildfire, logging, and vegetation dynamics, influence ecosystems has greatly expanded the capacity of landscape practitioners to develop strategies and tactics to restore landscapes and adapt them to climate change. Dr. Hessburg has also contributed to pioneering landscape assessment projects, including the Eastside Forest Ecosystem Health Assessment, the Interior Columbia River Basin Ecosystem Management Project, the LANDFIRE project, and the Northwest Forest Plan Science Synthesis.
The contributions of Dr. Hessburg to the field of landscape ecology and ecology more broadly are demonstrated by his many years of service in various ecological societies as well. He has maintained active participation in the Ecological Society of America, the International Association for Landscape Ecology, including the North American and its predecessor US chapter, the Natural Hazards Section of the European Geosciences Union, the Association of Fire Ecology, and the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations computation ecology and decision support section, and landscape ecology working group. He is also the current President of the Board of the Association for Fire Ecology.
Dr. Hessburg is a prolific author and science communicator with 230 publications and over 12,000 citations, an H index of 56 and an i10 index north of 130, demonstrating his immense scientific contributions. He has given over 800 scientific and professional talks and over 150 presentations to the public across the western U.S. on the importance of fire in western ecosystems. He has pioneered the acceptance and revitalization of prescribed burning and managed wildfires.
For more information about Dr. Hessburg, please visit his PNW Research Station web page and ResearchGate profile.