Justin DeRose

Biography

Justin DeRose studies forests and the disturbances that impact them. These disturbances, things like wildfire and bark beetle outbreaks, can have huge impacts on forest resources, in particular creating conflict around the services these systems provide to humans that rely on them. For example, timber, aesthetics, home values, and more, are all things that outbreaks of bark beetles have recently negatively influenced. Ongoing research projects that involve forest ecology, silviculture, and dendrochronology (tree-ring science) aim to better understand these potential conflicts. Teaching, research, demonstration, and education are all outcomes of this work, and are on display annually on the T.W. Daniel Experimental Forest. Dr. DeRose collaborates with social scientists, economists, policy makers, and local opinion leaders to help guide ongoing research, but also to facilitate the dissemination of research results to interested parties. Justin DeRose is also involved with the newly founded Utah Forest Restoration Institute that has the goal of improving the health and sustainability of forests and woodlands in the region.