Search
US Forest Service Research & Development
Contact Information
  • US Forest Service Research & Development
  • 1400 Independence Ave., SW
  • Washington, D.C. 20250-0003
  • 800-832-1355
You are here: Home / People / Profile

Profile

Research Forester

W. Keith Moser

Research Forester (Silviculturist) and Scientist-in-Charge, Fort Valley Experimental Forest
2500 S. Pine Knoll Drive
Flagstaff
Arizona
United States
86001-6381

Phone: 928-556-2046
Fax: 928-556-2121
Contact W. Keith Moser


Current Research

I am a Research Forester in the Rocky Mountain Research Station's Forests and Woodland Ecosystems Science Program located in Flagstaff, AZ. I plan and conduct research with an emphasis on knowledge of the adaptive capacity of Forest and Woodland species, populations, communities and ecosystems to new and variable weather and disturbance conditions. In the context of applied ecology and silviculture, I develop the overall strategy and approach to the problem, establish priorities among possible studies to fill knowledge gaps, coordinate cooperative efforts, and manage budgets and personnel. This work is disseminated via refereed journals, Forest Service research outlets (e.g., general technical reports and research papers), and published conference proceedings. Furthermore, I provide technology transfer on behalf of the Program via tours, workshops, and demonstrations available to foresters (public, private, and industrial), students, visiting scientists, and public. I am also the Scientist in Charge (SIC) of the Fort Valley Experimental Forest. I manage day-to-day activities and research. In this role, I have several other duties include implementing and administering a safety program, developing and updating a Business Plan for the Experimental Forest, formulating and Project Work Plan, participating in the Stations' Experimental Forest and Range Coordination Committee, and conducting field tours, workshops, and other educational and training events in the Experimental Forest. I also have responsibilities for coordinating intra- and extramural research and resulting activities that are conducted on the Experimental Forest. Currently, I am investigating relationships between species and structural diversity vs. productivity, patterns of forest response to abiotic and biotic (including non-native invasives) disturbances, and different metrics of long-term sustainability. As part of an international research group interested in ungulate-forest relationships, I am looking at interactions between deer, non-native invasive plants, and forest regeneration. I am working on landscape change resulting from afforestation of pastoral landscapes after de facto abandonment. I am also interested in managing for multiple benefits of agroforestry landscapes.

Research Interests

I am very interested in disturbance and ecosystem stability and how management actions can impact stability at the stand, landscape, and regional level. As part of this theme, I am interested in issues related to climate impacts, forest health, and invasives, both native and nonnative. I am interested in examining the likelihood of biotic disturbances and the forest structures that result, along with devising strategies for avoidance or amelioration.

Why This Research is Important

Coming from a forest management background, I am interested in the connection between ecological processes and policy and management actions. Research in forest ecology often finds itself constrained to a particular scale: individual plant, landscape, biome or region. If the latest knowledge is to be properly transferred to on-the-ground actions, then one must translate said knowledge into a scale and format that is useful to managers. Whether using imagery from satellites, FIA data or stand exams, then end result must be an action (on non-action) on the ground that promotes the goals and objectives of the landowner. My intent is to document trends in landscape change and, in so doing, examine patterns of disturbance and sustainability across spatial scales, thus providing value to local foresters seeking explanations for observations of disturbance, health, growth, and structure on their properties.

Education

  • Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Senior Executive Fellow Policy and Leadership 2016
  • Yale University, D.F. (Doctor Of Forestry) Forest stand dynamics and ecophysiology 1994
  • Duke University, M.F. (Master Of Forestry) Forest productivity 1986
  • Duke University, M.B.A. Operations management 1982
  • North Carolina State University, B.A. Business management 1980

Professional Experience

  • Research Forester (Silviculturist), USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Forest and Woodland Ecosystems Science
    2013 - Current
  • Senior Fulbright Specialist, Agroforestry Education, Union Christian College, Umiam Khwan, Ri Bhoi District, Meghalaya-793122 India
    2017 - 2017
  • Research Forester, USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis
    2003 - 2013
  • Supervisory Biologist, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Eastern Forests Environmental Threat Assessment Center
    2012 - 2012
  • Research Forester (Silviculture), Missouri Department of Conservation
    2000 - 2003
  • Ecological Forestry Research Scientist, Tall Timbers Research Station
    1995 - 2000
  • Visiting Postdoctoral Scientist, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
    1994 - 1994
  • Commercial Analyst and Purchasing Engineer, Westvaco Corporation, Fine Papers and Worldwide Divisions
    1986 - 1989
  • Planning Manager, Burlington Industries, Sportswear Division
    1982 - 1984

Professional Organizations

  • International Society of Tropical Foresters, President (2019 - Current)
  • International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), Deputy Coordinator (2019 - Current)
    Formerly WP 1.01.13 Long-term Research on Forest Ecosystem Management in Northeast Asia
  • International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), Deputy Coordinator (2019 - Current)
  • Society of American Foresters (SAF), Fellow, 2011 (1984 - Current)
  • Forest Science, Editor-In-Chief (2011 - 2019)
  • Journal of Forestry, Editor/Editor-In-Chief (2005 - 2012)

Awards & Recognition

  • National Award for Outstanding Contributions in Silviculture, 2019
    Outstanding contributions in the field of Silviculture at the National Silviculture workshop, Bemidji, Minnesota. This award is given biannually by my professional peers from throughout the United States.
  • Southwestern Society of American Foresters Outstanding Contribution to Forestry, 2017
    Recognized for exemplary effort and contributions to the profession by working to promote the inclusion of sound forest science in forestry.
  • Fellow, Society of American Foresters, 2011
  • Minnesota Society of American Foresters Outstanding Member, 2006
    Recognized contributions to SAF in scientific administration (Working Groups and Forest Science and Technology Board) and communications (Editor, Journal of Forestry) roles.
  • Thurn und Taxis Foerderpreis fuer die Forstwissenschaft, 1994
    Traveling postdoctoral fellowship awarded by the German family of Thurn und Taxis to one exceptional graduating doctoral student per year.

Featured Publications & Products

Publications

Research Highlights

HighlightTitleYear

RMRS-2016-225		Long-term Thinning Alters Ponderosa Pine Reproduction in Northern Arizona

This study tested the relationship between overstory density and seedling survival in ponderosa pine forests. They used a long-term ( more than ...

2016

NRS-2010-017		Wolf Recovery and the Future of Wisconsin's Forests: A Trophic Link

Overabundant white-tailed deer populations have serious negative effects on understory plant community structure and composition. Wolves, which ...

2010

Last updated on : 07/31/2020