Laura Kenefic
Title: Research Forester
Unit: Center for Research on Ecosystem Change
Previous Unit: Ecology and Management of Northern Forests
Address: Northern Research Station
686 Government Road
Bradley, ME 04411
Phone: 207-581-2794
E-mail: Contact Laura Kenefic
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Education
- Ph.D., Forest Resources, University of Maine (2000)
- M.S., Forest Resource Management, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry (1995)
- B.A., Environmental Studies, State University of New York at Binghamton (1992)
Civic & Professional Affiliations
Society of American Foresters
New England Society of American Foresters (Forest Science Coordinator, 2004 to 2006)
Ecological Society of America
Current Research
- Ecology and Silviculture of Mixed-Species Stands – Recent and ongoing projects include short- and long-term dynamics of multi-aged stands (with a focus on selection and diameter-limit cutting), rehabilitation of degraded stands, leaf area – volume growth relationships, regeneration dynamics, stand and sub-stand structure, and relationships between forest management and understory vegetation. Many of these projects are in collaboration with the University of Maine , where I am a Faculty Associate. A substantial part of my work is conducted on the Penobscot Experimental Forest , but I also have research sites on industrial forestlands throughout Maine , as well as on the Massabesic and Dukes Experimental Forests and the Holt Research Forest . My research addresses the northern conifer, northern hardwood, and northern red oak – eastern white pine forest types.
- Sustainability – I am the principal investigator for the Maine portion of a cross-border study of northern white-cedar regeneration and growth, in collaboration with Laval University in Quebec , the University of Maine , the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit, and Maibec Industries. I also have been working with the University of Maine and NRS scientist Walter Shortle on a recently completed study of the long-term effects of harvesting on stemwood chemistry and site productivity.
Why is This Important
The forests of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada are structurally and compositionally complex, and recent trends in forest management have been toward silvicultural systems that maintain or increase complexity of structure and species. However, the dynamics of mixed-species and multi-aged stands are incompletely understood, and information about ecosystem response to management in both the short- and long-term is needed. Additionally, focus on potentially at-risk components of complex ecosystems is important. Long-term sustainability of the northern white-cedar resource, for example, is a concern due to widespread problems with regeneration and recruitment and declining inventory in Maine. My research contributes both to effective forest management and long-term forest sustainability.
Future Research
In addition to ongoing studies, I plan to expand my research in the areas of ecology and silviculture of northern red oak - eastern white pine, focusing on the development of those species in mixture; northern hardwood silviculture; new approaches to creating and maintaining multi-aged stands; effect of soils on tree growth and stand dynamics in general and on growth and quality of northern white-cedar in particular; and silviculture of northern white-cedar.
Featured Publications
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Nyland, Ralph D. 2007. Cavity trees, snags, and selection cutting: a northern hardwood case study
- Moores, Andrew R.; Seymour, Robert S.; Kenefic, Laura S. 2007. Height development of shade-tolerant conifer saplings in multiaged Acadian forest stands
- Hofmeyer, Philip V.; Kenefic, Laura S.; Seymour, Robert S. 2007. Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.): an annotated bibliography
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Nyland, Ralph D. 2006. Facilitating a Dialogue About Diameter-Limit Cutting
- Hofmeyer, Philip V.; Kenefic, Laura S.; Seymour, Robert S.; Brissette, John C. 2006. Growth comparison of northern white-cedar to balsam fir and red spruce by site class
Additional
Online Publications
- Brissette, John C.; Saunders, Michael R.; Kenefic, Laura S.; Sendak, Paul E. 2006. Long-term research on classical silvicultural approaches in the Acadian Forest: Penobscot Experimental Forest Part I
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Brissette, John C.; Sendak, Paul E. 2006. Overview of USDA Forest Service Research on Diameter-Limit Cutting in Northern Conifers
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Nyland, Ralph D., eds. 2006. Proceedings of the conference on diameter-limit cutting in northeastern forests
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Sendak, Paul E.; Brissette, John C. 2006. Turning data into knowledge for over 50 years: USDA Forest Service research on the Penobscot Experimental Forest
- Baldwin, Elizabeth D.; Kenefic, Laura S.; LaPage, Wilbur; Daigle, John J. 2005. A Forest in Conflict: the Proposal for a 3.2 Million Acre National Park and Preserve in Maine's Working Forest
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Twery, Mark J., eds. 2005. Changing Forests - Challenging Times: Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Sendak, Paul E.; Brissette, John C. 2005. Comparison of Fixed Diameter-Limit and Selection Cutting in Northern Conifers
- Kenefic, Laura; Nyland, Ralph. 2005. Diameter-Limit Cutting and Silviculture in Northeastern Forests: A Primer for Landowners, Practitioners, and Policymakers
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Sendak, Paul E.; Brissette, John C. 2005. Digging Out the Data: USDA Forest Service Research on the Penobscot Experimental Forest
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Elias, Susan P.; Kimball, Alan J.; Witham, Jack W. 2005. Dynamics of Tree Growth and Composition Following Partial Cutting in an Oak ? Pine Forest in Maine
- Hofmeyer, Philip V.; Kenefic, Laura S.; Seymour, Robert S.; Brissette, John C. 2005. Ecology and Silviculture of Northern White-cedar
- Weaver, Jamie K.; Kenefic, Laura S.; Fernandez, Ivan J. 2005. Effect of Harvest Intensity on Soil Physical Properties and Site Productivity in Riparian Mixedwood Forests
- Waskiewicz, Justin D.; Kenefic, Laura S. 2005. Elementary Silviculture: Presenting Forest Science to Children Through the NSF?s Gk-12 Fellowship
- Sendak, Paul E.; Brissette, John C.; Frank (retired), Robert M.; Kenefic, Laura S. 2005. Forty Years of Partial Harvesting in Mixed Northern Conifers in Maine: Results from the Penobscot Experimental Forest
- Witham, Jack W.; Hunter, Malcolm L. Jr.; Kimball, Alan J.; White, Alan S.; Elias, Susan P.; Kenefic, Laura S. 2005. Long-term study of a pine ? oak forest ecosystem: Holt Research Forest
- Kenefic, Laura S.; White, Alan S.; Cutko, Andrew R.; Fraver, Shawn. 2005. Reference Stands for Silvicultural Research: A Maine Perspective
- Hebert, Barbara; Gagnon, Rejean; LaRouche, Catherine; Ruel, Jean-Claude; Kenefic, Laura S.; Brissette, John C. 2005. Regeneration of Northern White-cedar Following Silvicultural Treatment: a Long-term Study
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Brissette, John C. 2005. Sapling Recruitment and Growth Dynamics in Multi-aged Northern Conifer Stands: a 20-year Study
- Ruel, Jean-Claude; Larouche, Catherine; Morisette, Sabrina; Lussier, Jean Martin; Kenefic, Laura S. 2005. Silviculture of Northern White-cedar in Mixedwood Forests
- Maguire, Michael P.; Kenefic, Laura S.; Wilson, Jeremy S.; Nyland, Ralph D. 2005. Simulating Rehabilitation Treatments in Northern Hardwood Stands Following Diameter-limit Cutting
- Reinmann, Andy B.; Kenefic, Laura S.; Fernandez, Ivan J.; Shortle, Walter C. 2005. Soil Characteristics 30-years Post-harvest on Maine Spruce Flats: Preliminary Results
- Hofmeyer, Philip V.; Kenefic, Laura; Brissette, John C. 2005. Stand-level Responses of Northern White-cedar to Silvicultural Treatments in Central Maine
- Witham, Jack W.; Kimball, Alan J.; Elias, Susan P.; Kenefic, Laura S. 2005. Tree Regeneration at Holt Research Forest: Impacts of Red Maple Removal and White-tailed Deer Browsing
- Reinmann, Andy; Kenefic, Laura; Fernandez, Ivan; Shortle, Walter. 2004. Preliminary Results From a Retrospective Study of Harvest Intensity, Site Productivity, and Red Spruce Growth
- Kenefic, Laura S.; White, Alan S.; Fraver, Shawn. 2004. Reference conditions for silvicultural field studies in Maine: limitations and opportunities
- Maguire, Michael; Kenefic, Laura. 2004. Rehabilitation of Northern Hardwood Stands in Southern Maine Following Exploitative Harvests
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Brissette, John C.; Sendak, Paul E. 2004. The Effects of Alternative Diameter-Limit Cutting Treatments: Some Findings from a Long-Term Northern Conifer Experiment
- Moores, Andrew; Seymour, Robert; Kenefic, Laura. 2004. Understory Height Growth Dynamics in Uneven-Aged, Mixed-Species Northern Conifer Stands
- Seymour, Robert S.; Kenefic, Laura S. 2002. Influence of age on growth efficiency of Tsuga canadensis and Picea rubens trees in mixed-species, multiaged northern conifer stands
- Brissette, John C.; Kenefic, Laura S. 2000. Eastern hemlock response to even- and uneven-age management in the Acadian forest: results from the Penobscot Experimental Forest long-term silviculture study
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Seymour, Robert S. 2000. Growth patterns of Tsuga canadensis in managed uneven-aged northern conifer stands
- Kenefic, Laura S.; Nyland, Ralph D. 2000. Habitat diversity in uneven-aged northern hardwood stands: a case study
- Nowak, Chris; Stout, Susan; Brissette, John; Kenefic, Laura; Miller, Gary; Leak, Bill; Yaussy, Dan; Schuler, Tom; Gottschalk, Kurt. 1997. Defining the role of silvicultural research in the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station
Last Modified:
11/19/2008