Current Research

My research is focused on estimating and managing forest carbon at the stand and landscape scales, using a variety of tools including LiDAR.  Carbon in forests is important for many reasons, including climate mitigation and soil productivity. Managing forests to maintain and enhance carbon stocks is compatible with other important forest management objectives, and I work to understand the carbon consequences of common management practices and the tradeoffs between managing for carbon and other objectives, such as wildlife habitat. I am also involved in outreach and training, teaching forest carbon estimation techniques to a variety of audiences.

Hoover, Coeli M.; Smith, James E. 2017. Equivalence of live tree carbon stocks produced by three estimation approaches for forests of the western United States. Forest Ecology and Management. 236-253.

Research Interests

Forest carbon stocks, especially those in the soil, do not respond uniformly to management actions. I am interested in understanding and identifying the major factors driving the response, so that we can better assess what forest characteristics indicate the greatest potential for additonal carbon storage. I am also interested in developing ways to estimate forest carbon stocks that are operationally feasible at the landscape scale.

Hoover, Coeli M. 2011. Management impacts on forest floor and soil organic carbon in northern temperate forests of the US. Carbon Balance and Management. 6:17. 8 p.

Hoover, Coeli; Birdsey, Richard; Goines, Bruce; Lahm, Peter; Marland, Gregg; Nowak, David; Prisley, Stephen; Reinhardt, Elizabeth; Skog, Ken; Skole, David; Smith, James; Trettin, Carl; Woodall, Christopher. 2014. Chapter 6: quantifying greenhouse gas sources and sinks in managed forest systems. In: Eve, M.; Pape, D.; Flugge, M.; Steele, R.; Man, D.; Riley-Gilbert, M.; Biggar, S. Quantifying greenhouse gas fluxes in agriculture and forestry: Methods for entity-scale inventory. Tech. Bull. 1939. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Economist: 6-1-6.114.

Hoover, Coeli, M.; Heath, Linda S. 2011. Potential gains in storage on productive forestlands in the northeastern United Sates through stocking management. Ecological Applications. 21(4): 1154-1161, plus appendices.

Past Research

Hoover, C. M., Leak, W. B. and Keel, B. G. 2012. Benchmark carbon stocks from old-growth forests in northern New England, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 266:108-114.

Hoover, Coeli M.; Rebain, Stephanie A. 2011. Forest carbon estimation using the Forest Vegetation Simulator: Seven things you need to know. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-77. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 16 p.

Why This Research is Important

My research is very applied and is focused on helping landowners and managers estimate their forest carbon stocks and understand how management affects those stocks, so that they can add forest carbon to their list of management objectives. I use a variety of approaches - experiments to develop knowldege, tool development (such as the carbon reports in the Fire and Fuels Extension of the Forest Vegetation Simulator), and technology transfer (training sessions) to meet those objectives. Lack of forest inventory data and the expense of collecting such data are a major barrier for managers who want to include carbon sequestration in their management plans; current research on the feasibility of landscape scale carbon assessment using Lidar data and streamlined inventory has the potential to remove this obstacle.

Hoover, Coeli; Stout, Susan 2007. The carbon consequences of thinning techniques: stand structure makes a difference. Journal of Forestry. July/August: 266-270.

Hoover, Coeli; Birdsey, Richard; Goines, Bruce; Lahm, Peter; Marland, Gregg; Nowak, David; Prisley, Stephen; Reinhardt, Elizabeth; Skog, Ken; Skole, David; Smith, James; Trettin, Carl; Woodall, Christopher. 2014. Chapter 6: quantifying greenhouse gas sources and sinks in managed forest systems. In: Eve, M.; Pape, D.; Flugge, M.; Steele, R.; Man, D.; Riley-Gilbert, M.; Biggar, S. Quantifying greenhouse gas fluxes in agriculture and forestry: Methods for entity-scale inventory. Tech. Bull. 1939. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Economist: 6-1-6.114.

Education

• University of Georgia, Institute of Ecology, Ph.D. Soil Ecology 1996
• University of Pittsburgh, B.S. Biology 1991

Professional Experience

Professional Organizations

• Society of American Foresters (SAF), Full Member (2011 - Current)
• American Geophysical Union, Full Member (2001 - Current)
• Ecological Society of America, Full Member (1992 - Current)
  Member of Board of Professional Certification, which reviews applications for professional certification.
• Phi Beta Kappa, Member (1991 - Current)

Awards & Recognition

Featured Publications & Products

• Hoover, Coeli M.; Ducey, Mark J.; Colter, R. Andy; Yamasaki, Mariko. 2018. Evaluation of alternative approaches for landscape-scale biomass estimation in a mixed-species northern forest.
• Hoover, Coeli M.; Smith, James E. 2017. Equivalence of live tree carbon stocks produced by three estimation approaches for forests of the western United States.
• Hoover, Coeli ; Bush, Renate ; Palmer, Marin ; Treasure, Emrys . 2020. Using Forest Inventory and Analysis Data to Support National Forest Management: Regional Case Studies.
• Hoover, Coeli; Birdsey, Richard; Goines, Bruce; Lahm, Peter; Fan, Yongming; Nowak, David; Prisley, Stephen; Reinhardt, Elizabeth; Skog, Ken; Skole, David; Smith, James; Trettin, Carl; Woodall, Christopher. 2014. Chapter 6: quantifying greenhouse gas sources and sinks in managed forest systems.
• Hoover, Coeli M.; Leak, William B.; Keel, Brian G. 2012. Benchmark carbon stocks from old-growth forests in northern New England, USA.
• Hoover, Coeli M.; Smith, James E. 2016. Evaluating revised biomass equations: are some forest types more equivalent than others.
• Hoover, Coeli M. 2011. Management impacts on forest floor and soil organic carbon in northern temperate forests of the US.
• Hoover, Coeli M.; Rebain, Stephanie A. 2011. Forest carbon estimation using the Forest Vegetation Simulator: Seven things you need to know.
• Smith, James E.; Heath, Linda S.; Hoover, Coeli M. 2013. Carbon factors and models for forest carbon estimates for the 2005-2011 National Greenhouse Gas Inventories of the United States.

Publications

• Hoover, Coeli M.; Smith, James E. 2021. Current aboveground live tree carbon stocks and annual net change in forests of conterminous United States.
• Hoover, Coeli M.; Smith, James E. 2020. Selecting a minimum diameter for forest biomass and carbon estimation: How low should you go.
• Hoover, Coeli . 2019. The carbon consequences of thinning Allegheny hardwoods: Lessons learned from a study designed to inform SILVAH development.
• Hoover, Coeli M.; Smith, James E. 2017. Equivalence among three alternative approaches to estimating live tree carbon stocks in the eastern United States.
• Smith, James E.; Hoover, Coeli M. 2017. Live tree carbon stock equivalence of fire and fuels extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator and Forest Inventory and Analysis approaches.
• Hoover, Coeli M.; Heath, Linda S. 2014. A commentary on 'mineral soil carbon fluxes in forests and implications for carbon balance assessments': a deeper look at the data.
• MacLean, Richard G.; Ducey, Mark J.; Hoover, Coeli M. 2014. A comparison of carbon stock estimates and projections for the northeastern United States.
• Breidt, Jay; Ogle, Stephen M.; Powers, Wendy; Hoover, Coeli. 2014. Chapter 8: Uncertainty assessment for quantifying greenhouse gas sources and sinks.
• Hoover, Coeli M.; Beukema, Sarah J.; Robinson, Donald C.E.; Kellock, Katherine M.; Abraham, Diana A. 2014. PRESTO: online calculation of carbon in harvested wood products.
• Cole, Jason A.; Johnson, Kristopher D.; Birdsey, Richard A.; Pan, Yude; Wayson, Craig A.; McCullough, Kevin; Hoover, Coeli M.; Hollinger, David Y.; Bradford, John B.; Ryan, Michael G.; Kolka, Randall K.; Wieshampel, Peter; Clark, Kenneth L.; Skowronski, Nicholas S.; Hom, John; Ollinger, Scott V.; McNulty, Steven G.; Gavazzi, Michael J. 2013. Database for landscape-scale carbon monitoring sites.
• Hoover, Coeli M.; Smith, James E. 2012. Site productivity and forest carbon stocks in the United States: Analysis and implications for forest offset project planning.
• Hoover, Coeli. 2011. Assessing seven decades of carbon accumulation in two U.S. northern hardwood forests.
• Hoover, Coeli M. 2011. Measurement, monitoring, and verification: make it work!.
• Hoover, Coeli, M..; Heath, Linda S. 2011. Potential gains in storage on productive forestlands in the northeastern United Sates through stocking management.
• Iverson, Louis; Prasad, Anantha; Matthews, Stephen; Peters, Matthew; Hoover, Ceoli. 2010. Potential changes in habitat suitability under climate change: lessons learned from 15 years of species modelling.
• Hoover, Coeli M. 2010. Using existing thinning studies to investigate the carbon consequences of thinning: learning from the past to craft the future.
• Hoover, Coeli, M. 2008. Preface.
• Hoover, Coeli. 2008. The Kane Experimental Forest carbon inventory: Carbon reporting with FVS.
• Hoover, Coeli; Stout, Susan. 2007. The carbon consequences of thinning techniques: stand structure makes a difference.
• Stout, Susan L.; Hoover, Coeli M.; Ristau, Todd E. 2006. Listening to old beech and young cherry trees - long-term research in the Alleghenies.
• Hoover, Coeli M. 2005. Carbon Storage in Northeastern US Forest Soils.
• Birdsey, R.; Hollinger, D.; Heath, L.; Hoover, C.; Kolka, R.; Smith, M. L.; Ryan, M. 2003. Pilot Studies for Enhanced Forest Land Measurement.
• Hoover, Coeli M. 2003. Soil carbon sequestration and forest management: challenges and opportunities.
• Hoover, C.M.; Magrini, K.A.; Evans, R.J. 2002. Soil carbon content and character in an old-growth forest in northwestern Pennsylvania: a case study introducing pyrolysis molecular beam mass spectrometry (py-MBMS).
• Magrini, K.A.; Evans, R.J.; Hoover, C.M.; Elam, C.C.; Davis, M.F. 2002. Use of pyrolysis molecular beam mass spectrometry (py-MBMS) to characterize forest soil carbon: method and preliminary results.
• Conkling, Barbara L.; Hoover, Coeli M.; Smith, William D.; Palmer, Craig J. 2002. Using forest health monitoring data to integrate above and below ground carbon information.
• Hoover, Coeli M.; Birdsey, Richard A.; Heath, Linda S.; Stout, Susan L. 2000. How to estimate carbon sequestration on small forest tracts estimate carbon sequestration on small forest tracts.

Research Highlights

Highlight	Title	Year
NRS-2014-036	Estimating Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Managed Forests Forests have an important role in reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Forest Service scientists wrote the forestry chapter in a recent ...	2014
NRS-2016-117	LiDAR: A Bird’s-Eye Look at Wildlife Habitat Wildlife species often prefer habitats with specific characteristics. For example, many birds need dense brushy areas where they can safely nest ...	2016
NRS-2017-43	New addition to i-Tree family estimates carbon in wood products Wood continues to store carbon after it is harvested, and some carbon offset programs allow landowners to receive credit for carbon in products ...	2017
NRS-2015-111	PRESTO: A Web-based Tool for Estimating Carbon in Wood Products Carbon is stored not only in living trees but also in products made from the wood of harvested trees. PRESTO, an easy-to-use web-based tool for ...	2015
NRS-2013-027	Scientists Measure Carbon Storage in New England Old-Growth Forests Managing forests to store carbon is one way to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Measuring carbon in old-growth forests helps managers understa ...	2013