Future Forests Webinar Series, October 2011-December 2012

The Future Forest Webinar Series facilitated dialogue between scientists and managers about the challenges and opportunities created by the mountain pine beetle (MPB) epidemic. The series consisted of six webinar facilitated by the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, the Northern and Rocky Mountain Regions, and the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute. The series ran from October 2011 to December 2012 and covered a variety of topics related to the MPB epidemic: potential fire risk and behavior, current and future vegetation conditions, wildlife habitats and populations, social and economic considerations, ecosystem- and watershed-level changes, and management responses. The purpose of these proceedings is to relate information shared during the webinar series (rather than to summarize all available research on implications of the MPB epidemic). These proceedings represent a snapshot of relevant scientific and management concerns related to this epidemic. In the coming decades, additional research and lessons learned by managers will continue to deepen and broaden our understanding of the future of post-epidemic forests.