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Center Overview
The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) brings together industry and agency scientists with practitioners and university scientists from across the country to take interdisciplinary approaches to solving problems facing our nation's planted and natural forests. Its mission is to help create a future with sustainable, healthy forests that provide an economic foundation for many communities and industries, and that offer numerous environmental services. CAFS seeks to optimize genetic and cultural management regimes to produce high-quality raw forest materials for new and existing products. To do so, CAFS convenes scientists from different disciplines who define and conduct collaborative research on specific and compelling issues relevant to industry that transcend species, regions, and disciplinary boundaries.
Universities
- University of Idaho
- University of Washington
- Purdue University
- University of Maine
- University of Georgia
- Oregon State University
- North Carolina State University
Center Personnel
Aaron Weiskittel
Center Director
+1 207 581 2857
aaron.weiskittel@maine.edu
Douglass Jacobs
Site Director
+1 765 494 1055
djacobs@purdue.edu
Joseph Dahlen
Site Director
+1 706 542 2686
jdahlen@uga.edu
Rachel Cook
Site Director
+1 919 515 2444
rlcook@ncsu.edu
Mark Kimsey
Site Director
+1 208 885 7520
mkimsey@uidaho.edu
Carlos Gonzalez-Benecke
Site Director
+1 541 737 2004
carlos.gonzalez@oregonstate.edu
Meg Fergusson
Program Coordinator
+1 207 581 3794
margaret.fergusson@maine.edu
Research Focus
CAFS' research is in four primary areas:
- Decision-support tools.
- Forest genetics.
- Forest management.
- Remote sensing.
Awards
The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) was established in 2007 to address challenges facing the wood products industry, landowners, and managers of the nation's forestland. Over the past decade, the 7 university sites (University of Maine [lead], North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, University of Georgia, Purdue University, University of Idaho, University of Washington) that collaborate under CAFS have successfully provided the structure and resources needed for scientific collaboration in the areas of forest genetics, site manipulation, and growth & yield modeling. As CAFS moves into Phase III, focus will shift to address the technological challenges of the 21st century, with research questions aimed at multiple spatial and temporal scales (including molecular, cellular, individual-tree, stand, and ecosystem levels). Forests provide a major part of the Earth's oxygen, remove and store a substantial amount of atmospheric CO2, provide habitats for much of the world's plants, animals, and microorganisms, serve as feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials, and are a source of economic opportunity. CAFS regional and national research on a wide range of technological capabilities to sustain healthy forests, with an emphasis on decision-support tools and remote sensing, will support the US forest industry by solving problems with targeted, applied, and collaborative research. The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) brings together industry and agency scientists and practitioners and university scientists to solve problems facing our nation's planted and natural forests. CAFS Phase III interdisciplinary research approach will enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. forest products industries by solving problems at multiple temporal and spatial scales, and by determining fundamental solutions that transcend traditional tree species, regional, and disciplinary boundaries. During Phase III, CAFS will focus on precision forest management, forest genetics, key decision-support tools, and remote sensing research. Technology transfer between CAFS scientists and industry will facilitate the adoption of technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), which are rapidly changing how forests are measured, monitored, and managed. CAFS graduate students, recruited from underrepresented and traditional groups, will be unique in the forestry sciences because of their applied problem-solving and interdisciplinary skills across multiple scales. Healthy forests are vital to the world's ecological, social, and economic health; wood is a major economic commodity that serves as the raw material for building and as a feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials; and 2.7+ million jobs depend on forests, representing a payroll of over $110 billion. CAFS, as the leader for R&D relevant to the forest industry, will directly benefit the national forest economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Read More >
The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) was established in 2007 to address challenges facing the wood products industry, landowners, and managers of the nation's forestland. Over the past decade, the 7 university sites (University of Maine [lead], North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, University of Georgia, Purdue University, University of Idaho, University of Washington) that collaborate under CAFS have successfully provided the structure and resources needed for scientific collaboration in the areas of forest genetics, site manipulation, and growth & yield modeling. As CAFS moves into Phase III, focus will shift to address the technological challenges of the 21st century, with research questions aimed at multiple spatial and temporal scales (including molecular, cellular, individual-tree, stand, and ecosystem levels). Forests provide a major part of the Earth's oxygen, remove and store a substantial amount of atmospheric CO2, provide habitats for much of the world's plants, animals, and microorganisms, serve as feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials, and are a source of economic opportunity. CAFS regional and national research on a wide range of technological capabilities to sustain healthy forests, with an emphasis on decision-support tools and remote sensing, will support the US forest industry by solving problems with targeted, applied, and collaborative research. The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) brings together industry and agency scientists and practitioners and university scientists to solve problems facing our nation's planted and natural forests. CAFS Phase III interdisciplinary research approach will enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. forest products industries by solving problems at multiple temporal and spatial scales, and by determining fundamental solutions that transcend traditional tree species, regional, and disciplinary boundaries. During Phase III, CAFS will focus on precision forest management, forest genetics, key decision-support tools, and remote sensing research. Technology transfer between CAFS scientists and industry will facilitate the adoption of technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), which are rapidly changing how forests are measured, monitored, and managed. CAFS graduate students, recruited from underrepresented and traditional groups, will be unique in the forestry sciences because of their applied problem-solving and interdisciplinary skills across multiple scales. Healthy forests are vital to the world's ecological, social, and economic health; wood is a major economic commodity that serves as the raw material for building and as a feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials; and 2.7+ million jobs depend on forests, representing a payroll of over $110 billion. CAFS, as the leader for R&D relevant to the forest industry, will directly benefit the national forest economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Read More >
The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) was established in 2007 to address challenges facing the wood products industry, landowners, and managers of the nation's forestland. Over the past decade, the 7 university sites (University of Maine [lead], North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, University of Georgia, Purdue University, University of Idaho, University of Washington) that collaborate under CAFS have successfully provided the structure and resources needed for scientific collaboration in the areas of forest genetics, site manipulation, and growth & yield modeling. As CAFS moves into Phase III, focus will shift to address the technological challenges of the 21st century, with research questions aimed at multiple spatial and temporal scales (including molecular, cellular, individual-tree, stand, and ecosystem levels). Forests provide a major part of the Earth's oxygen, remove and store a substantial amount of atmospheric CO2, provide habitats for much of the world's plants, animals, and microorganisms, serve as feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials, and are a source of economic opportunity. CAFS regional and national research on a wide range of technological capabilities to sustain healthy forests, with an emphasis on decision-support tools and remote sensing, will support the US forest industry by solving problems with targeted, applied, and collaborative research. The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) brings together industry and agency scientists and practitioners and university scientists to solve problems facing our nation's planted and natural forests. CAFS Phase III interdisciplinary research approach will enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. forest products industries by solving problems at multiple temporal and spatial scales, and by determining fundamental solutions that transcend traditional tree species, regional, and disciplinary boundaries. During Phase III, CAFS will focus on precision forest management, forest genetics, key decision-support tools, and remote sensing research. Technology transfer between CAFS scientists and industry will facilitate the adoption of technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), which are rapidly changing how forests are measured, monitored, and managed. CAFS graduate students, recruited from underrepresented and traditional groups, will be unique in the forestry sciences because of their applied problem-solving and interdisciplinary skills across multiple scales. Healthy forests are vital to the world's ecological, social, and economic health; wood is a major economic commodity that serves as the raw material for building and as a feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials; and 2.7+ million jobs depend on forests, representing a payroll of over $110 billion. CAFS, as the leader for R&D relevant to the forest industry, will directly benefit the national forest economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Read More >
The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) was established in 2007 to address challenges facing the wood products industry, landowners, and managers of the nation's forestland. Over the past decade, the 7 university sites (University of Maine [lead], North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, University of Georgia, Purdue University, University of Idaho, University of Washington) that collaborate under CAFS have successfully provided the structure and resources needed for scientific collaboration in the areas of forest genetics, site manipulation, and growth & yield modeling. As CAFS moves into Phase III, focus will shift to address the technological challenges of the 21st century, with research questions aimed at multiple spatial and temporal scales (including molecular, cellular, individual-tree, stand, and ecosystem levels). Forests provide a major part of the Earth's oxygen, remove and store a substantial amount of atmospheric CO2, provide habitats for much of the world's plants, animals, and microorganisms, serve as feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials, and are a source of economic opportunity. CAFS regional and national research on a wide range of technological capabilities to sustain healthy forests, with an emphasis on decision-support tools and remote sensing, will support the US forest industry by solving problems with targeted, applied, and collaborative research. The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) brings together industry and agency scientists and practitioners and university scientists to solve problems facing our nation's planted and natural forests. CAFS Phase III interdisciplinary research approach will enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. forest products industries by solving problems at multiple temporal and spatial scales, and by determining fundamental solutions that transcend traditional tree species, regional, and disciplinary boundaries. During Phase III, CAFS will focus on precision forest management, forest genetics, key decision-support tools, and remote sensing research. Technology transfer between CAFS scientists and industry will facilitate the adoption of technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), which are rapidly changing how forests are measured, monitored, and managed. CAFS graduate students, recruited from underrepresented and traditional groups, will be unique in the forestry sciences because of their applied problem-solving and interdisciplinary skills across multiple scales. Healthy forests are vital to the world's ecological, social, and economic health; wood is a major economic commodity that serves as the raw material for building and as a feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials; and 2.7+ million jobs depend on forests, representing a payroll of over $110 billion. CAFS, as the leader for R&D relevant to the forest industry, will directly benefit the national forest economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Read More >
The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) was established in 2007 to address challenges facing the wood products industry, landowners, and managers of the nation's forestland. Over the past decade, the 7 university sites (University of Maine [lead], North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, University of Georgia, Purdue University, University of Idaho, University of Washington) that collaborate under CAFS have successfully provided the structure and resources needed for scientific collaboration in the areas of forest genetics, site manipulation, and growth & yield modeling. As CAFS moves into Phase III, focus will shift to address the technological challenges of the 21st century, with research questions aimed at multiple spatial and temporal scales (including molecular, cellular, individual-tree, stand, and ecosystem levels). Forests provide a major part of the Earth's oxygen, remove and store a substantial amount of atmospheric CO2, provide habitats for much of the world's plants, animals, and microorganisms, serve as feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials, and are a source of economic opportunity. CAFS regional and national research on a wide range of technological capabilities to sustain healthy forests, with an emphasis on decision-support tools and remote sensing, will support the US forest industry by solving problems with targeted, applied, and collaborative research. The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) brings together industry and agency scientists and practitioners and university scientists to solve problems facing our nation's planted and natural forests. CAFS Phase III interdisciplinary research approach will enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. forest products industries by solving problems at multiple temporal and spatial scales, and by determining fundamental solutions that transcend traditional tree species, regional, and disciplinary boundaries. During Phase III, CAFS will focus on precision forest management, forest genetics, key decision-support tools, and remote sensing research. Technology transfer between CAFS scientists and industry will facilitate the adoption of technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), which are rapidly changing how forests are measured, monitored, and managed. CAFS graduate students, recruited from underrepresented and traditional groups, will be unique in the forestry sciences because of their applied problem-solving and interdisciplinary skills across multiple scales. Healthy forests are vital to the world's ecological, social, and economic health; wood is a major economic commodity that serves as the raw material for building and as a feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials; and 2.7+ million jobs depend on forests, representing a payroll of over $110 billion. CAFS, as the leader for R&D relevant to the forest industry, will directly benefit the national forest economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Read More >
The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) was established in 2007 to address challenges facing the wood products industry, landowners, and managers of the nation's forestland. Over the past decade, the 7 university sites (University of Maine [lead], North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, University of Georgia, Purdue University, University of Idaho, University of Washington) that collaborate under CAFS have successfully provided the structure and resources needed for scientific collaboration in the areas of forest genetics, site manipulation, and growth & yield modeling. As CAFS moves into Phase III, focus will shift to address the technological challenges of the 21st century, with research questions aimed at multiple spatial and temporal scales (including molecular, cellular, individual-tree, stand, and ecosystem levels). Forests provide a major part of the Earth's oxygen, remove and store a substantial amount of atmospheric CO2, provide habitats for much of the world's plants, animals, and microorganisms, serve as feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials, and are a source of economic opportunity. CAFS regional and national research on a wide range of technological capabilities to sustain healthy forests, with an emphasis on decision-support tools and remote sensing, will support the US forest industry by solving problems with targeted, applied, and collaborative research. The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) brings together industry and agency scientists and practitioners and university scientists to solve problems facing our nation's planted and natural forests. CAFS Phase III interdisciplinary research approach will enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. forest products industries by solving problems at multiple temporal and spatial scales, and by determining fundamental solutions that transcend traditional tree species, regional, and disciplinary boundaries. During Phase III, CAFS will focus on precision forest management, forest genetics, key decision-support tools, and remote sensing research. Technology transfer between CAFS scientists and industry will facilitate the adoption of technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), which are rapidly changing how forests are measured, monitored, and managed. CAFS graduate students, recruited from underrepresented and traditional groups, will be unique in the forestry sciences because of their applied problem-solving and interdisciplinary skills across multiple scales. Healthy forests are vital to the world's ecological, social, and economic health; wood is a major economic commodity that serves as the raw material for building and as a feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials; and 2.7+ million jobs depend on forests, representing a payroll of over $110 billion. CAFS, as the leader for R&D relevant to the forest industry, will directly benefit the national forest economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Read More >
The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) was established in 2007 to address challenges facing the wood products industry, landowners, and managers of the nation's forestland. Over the past decade, the 7 university sites (University of Maine [lead], North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, University of Georgia, Purdue University, University of Idaho, University of Washington) that collaborate under CAFS have successfully provided the structure and resources needed for scientific collaboration in the areas of forest genetics, site manipulation, and growth & yield modeling. As CAFS moves into Phase III, focus will shift to address the technological challenges of the 21st century, with research questions aimed at multiple spatial and temporal scales (including molecular, cellular, individual-tree, stand, and ecosystem levels). Forests provide a major part of the Earth's oxygen, remove and store a substantial amount of atmospheric CO2, provide habitats for much of the world's plants, animals, and microorganisms, serve as feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials, and are a source of economic opportunity. CAFS regional and national research on a wide range of technological capabilities to sustain healthy forests, with an emphasis on decision-support tools and remote sensing, will support the US forest industry by solving problems with targeted, applied, and collaborative research. The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) brings together industry and agency scientists and practitioners and university scientists to solve problems facing our nation's planted and natural forests. CAFS Phase III interdisciplinary research approach will enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. forest products industries by solving problems at multiple temporal and spatial scales, and by determining fundamental solutions that transcend traditional tree species, regional, and disciplinary boundaries. During Phase III, CAFS will focus on precision forest management, forest genetics, key decision-support tools, and remote sensing research. Technology transfer between CAFS scientists and industry will facilitate the adoption of technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), which are rapidly changing how forests are measured, monitored, and managed. CAFS graduate students, recruited from underrepresented and traditional groups, will be unique in the forestry sciences because of their applied problem-solving and interdisciplinary skills across multiple scales. Healthy forests are vital to the world's ecological, social, and economic health; wood is a major economic commodity that serves as the raw material for building and as a feedstock for bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials; and 2.7+ million jobs depend on forests, representing a payroll of over $110 billion. CAFS, as the leader for R&D relevant to the forest industry, will directly benefit the national forest economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Read More >
Member Organizations
IUCRC affiliated member organizations are displayed as submitted by the Center. Non-federal organizations are not selected, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the U.S. National Science Foundation.- American Forest Management
- Arbor America
- BBC Land LLC
- Campbell Global
- Bureau of Land Management
- Campbell Global
- Cascade Timber Consulting
- Clayton Lake Woodlands Holding, LLC
- Forest Investment Associates
- Green Diamond Management Company
- Giustina Land and Timber
- Haloa Aina
- Hampton Lumber Affiliates
- Idaho Department of Lands
- Hancock Forest Management
- Idaho Department of Lands
- Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen's Association
- Indiana Department of Natural Resources
- Inland Empire Paper
- International Forest Company
- J.D. Irving
- Kealakekua Mountain Reserve
- Lewis & Clark Tree Farms
- Lone Rock Resources
- Molpus Timberlands Management, LLC
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement
- Oregon Department of Forestry
- Port Blakely Tree Farms
- PotlatchDeltic Corporation
- Quinault Department of Natural Resources
- Rayonier Forest Resources
- Resource Management Service, LLC
- Roseburg Forest Products
- SAPPI Fine Papers
- Seneca Jones Timber
- Seven Islands Land Company
- Starker Forests
- Stimson Lumber Company
- Superior Pine Products Company
- Timberland Investment Resources LLC
- USDA Bureau of Land Management
- USDA Forest Service Research
- van Eck Forest Foundation
- Wagner Forest Management
- Washington Dept of Natural Resources
- Westervelt Company
- Weyerhaeuser
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the Center author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.