Conservation Scientist - Plant Ecologist 

Jesse is a Plant Ecologist for Michigan Natural Features Inventory. In this role, he conducts thorough vegetation surveys on various public lands to identify important natural areas, document populations of rare plants, and integrate these elements into wildlife management plans. Identifying remnants of high-quality natural areas is a critical component of conservation and helps to prioritize restoration actions. He has spent several seasons surveying natural communities across Michigan with a recent focus on recoverable, fire-dependent systems and the management of our remaining natural red pine.

Fire As A Stabilizing Force

The Great Lakes region supports numerous fire-dependent natural communities that have been deprived of this critical disturbance for over a century. But the return of fire as a disturbance can have a range of impacts – some positive, some negative – depending on the site and the management goals. Therefore, it is important to carefully plan the return of fire to our remaining natural communities. This talk will look at a variety of natural communities where fire has been returned to examine where it has been a stabilizing force, and where it has been a destabilizing force. We will also examine sites that have yet to have fire applied and discuss strategies for moving forward.