I am interested in human impacts on the structure, composition, and function of forest ecosystems, as well as the interactions between forest ecosystems, global biogeochemical cycles, and climate. Most of my current research is focused on the following three topics:1) the effects of partial harvesting on residual stand dynamics, 2) canopy structure and dynamics, and 3) the role of forests in mitigating the rise of atmospheric CO2.

FOR301: Field Methods in Forest Conservation

FOR305: Biology of Trees and Forests

Past students

Grant Domke (M.Sc.F.) Thesis: Gap closure in northern hardwood forests. Currently enrolled as a Ph.D. candidate in the Forestry Department at the          University of Minnesota.

Megan Saprunoff (M.Sc.F.) Thesis: Comparative ecology of temperate Asian tree species. Currently employed as a forester in training with British          Columbia Timber Sales.

Charles Nock (M.Sc.F.) Thesis: Age-related decline in the leaf area index of two temperate deciduous tree species.

Trevor Jones (Post-doc) Project: Modeling post-harvest stand dynamics. Co-supervised with S. Thomas from March 2006-Aug. 2006. Currently          employed as a post-doc in Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia.

Prospective Students

I am currently recruiting students who wish to pursue a M.Sc.F. or Ph.D. in any area related to forest ecology and management. Prospective students should send me the following information in advance of applying:

• A statement of research interests, experience and professional goals.

• A curriculum vitae.

• Photocopies of transcripts.

• Photocopies of TOEFL scores (if required, see admission requirements below).

• Names and contact information for three references.

For further background on my main field site visit this webpage:

• Haliburton Forest

Thorpe, H.C. , S.C. Thomas and J.P. Caspersen (2008) Tree mortality following partial harvests is determined by skidding proximity. Ecological
         Applications, in press

Nock, C.A., J.P. Caspersen and S.C. Thomas (2008) Large ontogenetic declines in intra-crown leaf area index in canopy trees of two temperate
         deciduous tree species. Ecology, 89, 744-753.

Thorpe, H.C., S.C. Thomas and J.P. Caspersen (2007) Growth responses of residual Picea mariana trees following partial stand harvest. Canadian
         Journal of Forest Research, 37, 1563-1571.

Arii, K., J.P. Caspersen, T. Jones and S.C. Thomas (2007) Development of a spatially-aggregated harvesting algorithm for use in an individual-based
         forest simulation model. Ecological Modelling, 211, 251-266.

Stehlik, I., J.P. Caspersen, L. Wirth, and R. Holderegger (2007) Floral free fall in the Swiss lowlands: environmental determinants of local plant
         population extinction in a peri-urban landscape. Journal of Ecology 95, 734-744.

Holloway, G.L., J.P. Caspersen, M.C. Vanderwel and B. J. Naylor (2007) Cavity tree occurrence in hardwood forests of Central Ontario. Forest Ecology          and Management 239, 191-199.

Domke, G.M., J.P. Caspersen and T. Jones (2007) Light attenuation following selection harvesting in northern hardwood forests. Forest Ecology and          Management 239, 182-190.

Pacala, S.W., R.A. Birdsey, S. Bridgham, R.T. Conant, K. Davis, B. Hales, R.A. Houghton, J.C. Jenkins, M. Johnston, G. Marland, K. Paustian, S. Wofsy,          J.P. Caspersen, R. Socolow and R.S.J. Tol (2007). The North American Carbon Budget Past and Present. In the First State of the Carbon Cycle          Report, U.S. Climate Change Science Program.

Vanderwel, M.C. and J.P. Caspersen (2006) Snag dynamics in partially-harvested northern hardwood forests. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 36,          2769-2779.

Caspersen, J.P. (2006) Elevated mortality of residual trees following single-tree felling in northern hardwood forests. Canadian Journal of Forest          Research 36, 1225-1265.

Stehlik, I., J.P. Caspersen and S.C.H. Barrett (2005) Spatial ecology of mating success in a sexually polymorphic plant. Proceedings of the Royal          Society of London, Series B 273, 387-394. 

Caspersen, J.P. and M. Saprunoff (2005) Seedling recruitment in a northern temperate forest: the relative importance of supply and establishment          limitation. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 35, 978-989.

Purves, D., J.P. Caspersen, P.R. Moorcroft, G.C. Hurtt and S.W. Pacala (2004) Human-induced changes in U.S. biogenic VOC emissions: evidence from          long-term forest inventories. Global Change Biology 10, 1737-1755.

Caspersen, J.P. (2004) Variation in stand mortality related to successional composition. Forest Ecology and Management 200, 149-160.

Chave, J., R. Condit, T. Guynup, S. Lao, J.P. Caspersen, J.P. Megonigal, R.B. Foster and S.P. Hubbell (2003) Spatial and temporal variation of biomass          in a tropical forest: results from a large census plot in Panama. Journal of Ecology 91, 240-252.

Hurtt, G.C., S.W. Pacala, P.R. Moorcroft, J. P. Caspersen, E. Shevliakova, R.A. Houghton and B. Moore (2002) Projecting the future of the U.S. carbon          sink. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 99, 1389-1394.

Caspersen, J.P. and S.W. Pacala (2001) Successional diversity and forest ecosystem function. Ecological Research 16, 895-903.

Pacala, S.W., G.C. Hurtt, D. Baker, P. Peylin, R.A. Houghton, R.A. Birdsey, L. Heath, E. T. Sundquist, R.F. Stallard, P. Ciais, P.R. Moorcroft, J.P.          Caspersen, E. Shevliakova, B. Moore, G. Kohlmaier, E. Holland, M. Gloor, M.E. Harmon, S.-M. Fan, J.L. Sarmiento, C. Goodale, D. Schimel and          C.B. Field (2001) Consistent land- and atmosphere-based U.S. carbon sink estimates. Science 292, 2316-2320.

Caspersen, J.P. and R.K. Kobe (2001) Interspecific variation in sapling mortality in relation to soil moisture and growth. Oikos 92, 160-168

Pacala, S.W., J.P. Caspersen, P.R. Moorcroft and G.C. Hurtt (2001) Carbon storage in the US caused by land use change. In T. Matsuno and H. Kida          (eds.) The Present and Future of Modeling Global Environmental Change. Terra Scientific Publishing Company.

Caspersen, J.P., S.W. Pacala, J. Jenkins, G.C. Hurtt, P.R. Moorcroft and R.A. Birdsey (2000) Contributions of land-use history to carbon accumulation in          U.S. forests. Science 290, 1148-1151.

Armesto, J.J., R. Rozzi, and J.P. Caspersen (2000) Temperate forests: contrasts between North and South America. In F.S. Chapin III and E.O Sala          (Eds.) Future Scenarios for Biological Diversity. Springer-Verlag.

Caspersen, J.P., J.A. Silander, C.D. Canham and S.W. Pacala (1999) Modeling the competitive dynamics and distribution of tree species along soil          moisture gradients. In D. Mladenoff and W. Baker (eds.) Spatial Modeling of Forest Landscape Change. Cambridge University Press. This chapter          was reviewed by external peer reviewers.

Submitted manuscripts

Shevliakova, E., S.W. Pacala, S. Malyshev, G.C. Hurtt, P. Milly, J.P. Caspersen, L. Thompson, C. Wirth and K. Dunne. The land carbon cycle and
     vegetation dynamics in the global dynamics land model LM3V. Submitted to Global Change Biology.

Vanderwel, M.C., H.C. Thorpe, J.L. Shuter, J.C. Caspersen, and S.C. Thomas. Contrasting downed woody debris dynamics in managed and unmanaged
      northern hardwood forests. Submitted to Canadian Journal of Forest Research.

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